Specifies a remote computer. If this parameter is omitted,
at schedules the commands and programs on the local computer.
- ID -- Specifies the identification number assigned to a scheduled command.
- /delete -- Cancels a scheduled command. If ID is omitted, all of the scheduled
commands on the computer are canceled.
- /yes -- Answers yes to all queries from the system when deleting scheduled events.
- hours:minutes -- Specifies the time to start running the command. Time is
expressed as hours:minutes in 24-hour notation (i.e. 00:00 [midnight] through 23:59).
- /interactive -- Allows command to interact with the desktop of the user who is
logged on at the time command runs.
- /every: -- Runs command on every specified day or days of the week or month (for
example, every Thursday, or the third day of every month).
- date -- Specifies the date to start running the command. One or more days of the
week (i.e. type M,T,W,Th,F,S,Su) or one or more days of the month (i.e. type 1
1 through 31) can be specified. Separate multiple date entries with commas.
If the dateis omitted, at uses the current day of the month.
- /next: -- Runs command on the next occurrence of the day (for example, next Thursday).
- command -- Specifies the Windows command, program (i.e. .exe or .com file) or
batch program (i.e. .bat or .cmd file) to run. When the command requires a path as
\an argument, use the absolute path (i.e. the entire path beginning with the drive
letter). If the command is on a remote computer, specify Universal Naming Convention
(UNC) notation for the server and share name, rather than a remote drive letter.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
- Used without parameters, it lists scheduled commands.
- This command can be used only when the Schedule service is running.
- Schtasks is a more powerful superset command-line scheduling tool and includes all
the functionality found in the at command-line utility. Use schtasks instead of at
for all command-line scheduling tasks. For more information about schtasks, see
Related Topics.
Using at:
=========
- At can only be used by a member of the local Administrators group.
Loading Cmd.exe:
- At does not automatically load Cmd.exe, the command interpreter, before running
commands. If an executable (.exe) file is not being run then the beginning of the
command must explicitly load Cmd.exe as follows:
cmd /c dir > c:\test.out
Viewing scheduled commands:
===========================
When using at without command-line options, scheduled tasks appear in a table
formatted similar to the following:
Status ID Day Time Command Line
OK 1 Each F 4:30 PM net send group leads status due
OK 2 Each M 12:00 AM chkstor > check.file
OK 3 Each F 11:59 PM backup2.bat
Including identification number (ID):
=====================================
- When including identification number (ID) with at at a command prompt,
information for a single entry appears in a format similar to the following:
Task ID: 1
Status: OK
Schedule: Each F
Time of Day: 4:30 PM
Command: net send group leads status due
After scheduling a command with at, especially a command that has command-line
options, check that the command syntax is correct by typing at without command-
line options. If the information in the Command Line column is incorrect,
delete the command and retype it. If it is still incorrect, retype the command
with fewer command-line options.
Viewing results:
================
- Commands scheduled with at run as background processes. Output is not displayed
on the computer screen. To redirect output to a file, use the redirection symbol
(>). If redirecting output to a file, use the escape symbol (^) before the
redirection symbol, whether using at at the command line or in a batch file.
For example, to redirect output to Output.text, type:
at 14:45 c:\test.bat ^>c:\output.txt
- The current directory for the executing command is the systemroot folder.
Changing system time:
=====================
- If change the system time at a computer after scheduling a command to run with at,
synchronize the at scheduler with the revised system time by typing at without
command-line options.
Storing commands:
=================
- Scheduled commands are stored in the registry. As a result, scheduled tasks are
retained when restarting the Schedule service.
Connecting to network drives:
=============================
- Do not use a redirected drive for scheduled jobs that access the network. The
Schedule service might not be able to access the redirected drive, or the redirected
drive might not be present if a different user is logged on at the time the
scheduled task runs. Instead, use UNC paths for scheduled jobs. For example:
at 1:00pm my_backup \\server\share
- Do not use the following syntax, where x: is a connection made by the user:
at 1:00pm my_backup x:
- If scheduling an at command that uses a drive letter to connect to a shared directory,
include an at command to disconnect the drive when finished using the drive. If the
drive is not disconnected, the assigned drive letter is not available at the command
prompt.
Examples:
- To display a list of commands scheduled on the Marketing server, type:
at \\marketing
- To learn more about a command with the identification number 3 on the Corp server, type:
at \\corp 3
- To schedule a net share command to run on the Corp server at 8:00 A.M. and redirect
the listing to the Maintenance server, in the Reports shared directory, and the
Corp.txt file, type:
at \\corp 08:00 cmd /c "net share reports=d:\marketing\reports
>> \\maintenance\reports\corp.txt"
- To back up the hard drive of the Marketing server to a tape drive at midnight every
five days, create a batch program called Archive.cmd, which contains the backup commands,
and then schedule the batch program to run, type:
at \\marketing 00:00 /every:5,10,15,20,25,30 archive
- To cancel all commands scheduled on the current server, clear the at schedule
information as follows:
at /delete
- To run a command that is not an executable (i.e. .exe) file, precede the command
with cmd /c to load Cmd.exe as follows:
cmd /c dir > c:\test.out
ATTRIB
Displays, sets, or removes the read-only, archive, system, and hidden attributes
assigned to files or directories.
attrib [{+r|-r}] [{+a|-a}] [{+s|-s}] [{+h|-h}] [[Drive:][Path] FileName] [/s[/d]]
Parameters:
- +r -- Sets the read-only file attribute.
- -r -- Clears the read-only file attribute.
- +a -- Sets the archive file attribute.
- -a -- Clears the archive file attribute.
- +s -- Sets the system file attribute.
- -s -- Clears the system file attribute.
- +h -- Sets the hidden file attribute.
- -h -- Clears the hidden file attribute.
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the directory,
file, or set of files to display or change attributes. Wildcard characters
(i.e. ? and *) can be used in the FileName parameter to display or change
the attributes for a group of files.
- /s -- Applies attrib and any command-line options to matching files in the
current directory and all of its subdirectories.
- /d -- Applies attrib and any command-line options to directories.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
- Used without parameters, attrib displays attributes of all files in the
current directory.
Working with groups of files:
=============================
Wildcard characters (i.e. ? and *) can be used with the FileName parameter to
display or change the attributes for a group of files. File with the system or
hidden attribute set must have the attributes cleared before changing any other
attributes for that file.
Using the archive attribute:
============================
- The archive attribute (i.e. +a) marks files that have changed since the last
time they were backed up. The xcopy command uses archive attributes. For more
information about archive attributes and xcopy, see Related Topics.
- The attrib command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Examples:
- To display the attributes of a file named News86 located on the current drive, type:
attrib news86
- To assign the read-only attribute to the file named Report.txt, type:
attrib +r report.txt
- To remove the read-only attribute from files in the \Public\Jones directory on a
disk in drive B and from files in any subdirectories of \Public\Jones, type:
attrib -r b:\public\jones\*.* /s
- Consider a scenario to give an associate a disk containing all files in the default
directory on a disk in drive A, except files with the .bak extension. Because xcopy
can be used to copy only those files marked with the archive attribute, set the
archive attribute for those files to be copied. First, set the archive attribute for
all files on drive A. Second, clear the archive attribute for those files with the
.bak extension. For example, type:
attrib +a a:*.* attrib -a a:*.bak
- Next, use xcopy to copy the files from the disk in drive A to the disk in drive B.
The /a command-line option in the following command causes xcopy to copy only those
files marked with the archive attribute. For example, type:
xcopy a: b: /a
- To have xcopy clear each file's archive attribute after it copies the files, use
the /m command-line option instead of /a. For example, type:
xcopy a: b: /m
BATCH PARAMETERS
Batch parameters can be used anywhere within a batch file to extract information
about environment settings.
Cmd.exe provides the batch parameter expansion variables %0 through %9. When batch
parameters are used in a batch file, %0 is replaced by the batch file name, and %1
through %9 are replaced by the corresponding arguments typed at the command line.
To access arguments beyond %9, use the shift command. For more information about
the shift command, see Shift The %* batch parameter is a wildcard reference to all
the arguments, not including %0, that are passed to the batch file.
For example, to copy the contents from Folder1 to Folder2, where %1 is replaced by
the value Folder1 and %2 is replaced by the value Folder2, type the following in a
batch file called Mybatch.bat:
xcopy %1\*.* %2
To run the file, type: mybatch.bat C:\folder1 D:\folder2
This has the same effect as typing the following in the batch file:
xcopy C:\folder1 \*.* D:\folder2
Modifiers can be used with batch parameters. Modifiers use current drive and directory
information to expand the batch parameter as a partial or complete file or directory
name. To use a modifier, type the percent (%) character followed by a tilde (~)
character, and then type the appropriate modifier (i.e. %~modifier).
The following table lists the modifiers available to use in expansion.
Modifier - Description
%~1 - Expands %1 and removes any surrounding quotation marks ("").
%~f1 - Expands %1 to a fully qualified path name.
%~d1 - Expands %1 to a drive letter.
%~p1 - Expands %1 to a path.
%~n1 - Expands %1 to a file name.
%~x1 - Expands %1 to a file extension.
%~s1 - Expanded path contains short names only.
%~a1 - Expands %1 to file attributes.
%~t1 - Expands %1 to date and time of file.
%~z1 - Expands %1 to size of file.
%~$PATH:1 - Searches the directories listed in the PATH environment variable
and expands %1 to the fully qualified name of the first one found.
If the environment variable name is not defined or the file is not
found, this modifier expands to the empty string.
The following table lists possible combinations of modifiers and qualifiers that
can be used to get compound results.
Modifier - Description
%~dp1 - Expands %1 to a drive letter and path.
%~nx1 - Expands %1 to a file name and extension.
%~dp$PATH:1 - Searches the directories listed in the PATH environment variable for
%1 and expands to the drive letter and path of the first one found.
%~ftza1 - Expands %1 to a dir-like output line.
Note: In the above examples, %1 and PATH can be replaced with other batch parameter values.
The %* modifier is a unique modifier that represents all arguments passed in a batch file.
This modifier cannot be used in combination with the %~ modifier. The %~ syntax must be
terminated by a valid argument value.
Batch parameters cannot be manipulated in the same manner as manipulating environment
variables. Substrings values cannot be searched and replaced or examineed. However,
a parameter can be assigned to an environment variable which can then be manipulated.
Examples:
If "%~1"=="" GoTo TheParamIsEmpty
echo param-1 value is %~1
GoTo ContinueHere
TheParamIsEmpty:
echo param-1 is empty
ContinueHere:
If "%~2"=="Update" GoTo UpdateData
GoTo DoReadOnly
UpdateData:
echo ready to update data
DoReadOnly:
BREAK
Sets or Clears Extended CTRL+C checking on DOS system
This is present for Compatibility with DOS systems.
It has no effect under Windows XP.
If Command Extensions are enabled, and running on the Windows XP
platform, then the BREAK command will enter a hard coded breakpoint
if being debugged by a debugger.
CACLS
Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files
cacls FileName [/t] [/e] [/c] [/g User:permission] [/r User [...]] [/p User:permission
[...]] [/d User [...]]
Parameters:
- FileName -- Required. Displays DACLs of specified files.
- /t -- Changes DACLs of specified files in the current directory and all subdirectories.
- /e -- Edits a DACL instead of replacing it.
- /c -- Continues to change DACLs, ignoring errors.
- /g User:permission -- Grants access rights to the specified user. The following table
lists valid values for permission.
Value - Description
n - None
r - Read
w - Write
c - Change (Write)
f - Full Control
- /r User -- Revokes access rights for the specified user.
- /p User:permission -- Replaces access rights for the specified user. The following table
lists valid values for permission.
Value - Description
n - None
r - Read
w - Write
c - Change (Write)
f - Full Control
- /d User -- Denies access for the specified user.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Use the following table to interpret the results.
Output - ACE applies to
OI - This folder and files
CI - This folder and subfolders
IO - The ACE does not apply to the current file/directory.
No output message - This folder only
(IO)(CI) - This folder, subfolders and files
(OI)(CI)(IO) - Subfolders and files only
(CI)(IO) - Subfolders only
(OI)(IO) - Files only
Wildcards (i.e., ? and *) can be used to specify multiple files.
More than one user can be specified.
CALL
Calls one batch program from another
call [[Drive:][Path] FileName [BatchParameters]] [:label [arguments]]
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the batch
program to call. The FileName parameter must
have a .bat or .cmd extension.
- BatchParameters -- Specifies any command-line information required by
the batch program, including command-line options,
file names, batch parameters (i.e. %0 through %9),
or variables (for example, %baud%).
- :label -- Specifies the label to which the batch program control should
jump. By using call with this parameter, a new batch file context
is created and control is passed to the statement after the
specified label. The first time the end of the batch file is
encountered (i.e. after jumping to the label), control
returns to the statement after the call statement. The second
time the end of the batch file is encountered, the batch script
is exited. For a description of the goto :eof extension that
returns from (i.e. out of) a batch script, see Related Topics.
- arguments -- Specifies any command-line information to pass to the new
instance of the batch program that begins at :label, including
command-line options, file names, batch parameters (i.e. %1
through %9), or variables (for example, %baud%).
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Batch parameters can contain any information that is passed to a batch program,
including command-line options, file names, batch parameters (i.e. %0 through %9)
and variables (for example, %baud%). For more information about batch parameters,
see Related Topics.
Do not use pipes and redirection symbols with call.
A batch program can call itself, however, an exit condition must be provided.
Otherwise, the parent and child batch programs can loop endlessly.
With command extensions enabled (i.e. the default), call accepts a label
as the target of the call. The correct syntax is as follows:
call :label arguments
In addition, expansion of batch script argument references (%0, %1,
etc.) have been changed as follows:
%* in a batch script refers to all the arguments (e.g. %1 %2 %3 %4 %5 ...)
Substitution of batch parameters (%n) has been enhanced. Use the
following optional syntax:
%~1 - expands %1 removing any surrounding quotes (")
%~f1 - expands %1 to a fully qualified path name
%~d1 - expands %1 to a drive letter only
%~p1 - expands %1 to a path only
%~n1 - expands %1 to a file name only
%~x1 - expands %1 to a file extension only
%~s1 - expanded path contains short names only
%~a1 - expands %1 to file attributes
%~t1 - expands %1 to date/time of file
%~z1 - expands %1 to size of file
%~$PATH:1 - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable and expands %1 to the fully
qualified name of the first one found. If the
environment variable name is not defined or the
file is not found by the search, then this
modifier expands to the empty string
The modifiers can be combined to get compound results:
%~dp1 - expands %1 to a drive letter and path only
%~nx1 - expands %1 to a file name and extension only
%~dp$PATH:1 - searches the directories listed in the PATH
environment variable for %1 and expands to the
drive letter and path of the first one found.
%~ftza1 - expands %1 to a DIR like output line
In the above examples %1 and PATH can be replaced by other
valid values. The %~ syntax is terminated by a valid argument
number. The %~ modifiers may not be used with %*
For more information about enabling and disabling command extensions, see cmd
in Related Topics.
Examples:
- To run the Checknew.bat program from another batch program, type the following
command in the parent batch program:
call checknew
- If the parent batch program accepts two batch parameters and those parameters
need to be passed to Checknew.bat, use the following command in the parent
batch program:
call checknew %1 %2
CD
Displays the name of, or changes the, current directory.
cd [[/d] [Drive:][Path] [..]] [[/d] [Drive:][Path] [..]]
Parameters:
- /d -- Changes the current drive or the current directory for a drive.
- [drive:][Path] -- Specifies the drive (i.e. if it is different from
the current drive) and directory to which to change.
- [..] -- Specifies to change to the parent folder.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used with only a drive letter (for example, cd C:), cd displays the
names of the current drive and folder. Used without parameters, cd
displays the current drive and directory.
Working with command extensions:
================================
With command extensions enabled (i.e. the default), the current
directory path matches the folder names exactly as they appear on the
hard drive, using the same uppercase or lowercase folder-name format.
For example, if the folder on the hard drive is called C:\Temp,
CD C:\TEMP sets the current directory to C:\Temp to match the
folder-name format of the folder on the hard drive.
To disable command extensions for a particular process, type:
cmd e:off
When command extensions are disabled, cd does not treat white spaces
as delimiters. As a result, it is possible to change to a subdirectory
name that contains a white space without having to surround [Path] in
quotation marks. For example, the following path changes to the
\Start menu subdirectory:
cd \winnt\profiles\username\programs\start menu
For more information about enabling and disabling command extensions,
see cmd in Related Topics.
Changing to the root directory:
===============================
The root directory is the top of the directory hierarchy for a drive.
To return to the root directory, type:
cd\
Changing the default directory on one drive from another drive:
===============================================================
To change the default directory on a drive different from the current
one, type one of the following:
cd [Drive:\[directory]]
To verify the change to the directory, type one of the following:
cd [Drive:]
The cd command, with different parameters, is available from the
Recovery Console.
Examples:
When used with a drive name, cd displays the current directory for that drive.
For example, cd c: at the C:\Temp directory prompt, the following appears:
C:\Temp
To change the current directory to a directory named Reports, type one of the
following commands:
cd \reports
To change the current directory to a subdirectory \Specials\Sponsors, type:
cd \specials\sponsors
Or, if the current directory is \Specials, type the following command to
change to the \Specials\Sponsors subdirectory:
cd sponsors
To change from a subdirectory to its parent directory, type:
cd ..
To display the name of the current directory, use cd or cd without a parameter.
For example, if the current directory is \Public\Jones on drive B, typing cd
the following appears:
B:\Public\Jones
If currently on drive D and want to copy all files in the \Public\Jones and
\Public\Lewis directories on drive C to the root directory on drive D, type:
cd c:\public\jones
copy c:*.* d:\
cd c:\public\lewis
copy c:*.* d:\
To copy all files in the \Public\Jones and \Public\Lewis directories to the
current location on drive D, type:
cd c:\public\jones
copy c:*.* d:
cd c:\public\lewis
copy c:*.* d:
CharMap
Displays a grid of 240 characters for the selected font.
charmap
Parameters:
- None
Remarks:
Any character in the grid can be selected and optionally selected then copied (into the
Windows clipboard) then pasted into any other application that accepts character entry.
The font can be changed by selecting a different one in the drop down list at the top.
When the font is changed, the characters in the grid take on the appearance of the
newly selected font.
CHCP
Displays the number of the active console code page, or changes the console's active console
code page.
chcp [nnn]
Parameters:
- nnn -- Specifies the code page. The following table lists each code page supported and
its country/region or language:
Code page - Country/region or language
437 - United States
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic (Latin II)
855 - Cyrillic (Russian)
857 - Turkish
860 - Portuguese
861 - Icelandic
863 - Canadian-French
865 - Nordic
866 - Russian
869 - Modern Greek
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, chcp displays the number of the active console code pages.
Only the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) code page installed with Windows XP appears
correctly in a command prompt window that uses Raster fonts. Other code pages appear
correctly in full-screen mode or command prompt windows that use TrueType fonts.
Code pages do not need to be prepared as they do in MS-DOS.
Programs that start after they are assigned a new code page use the new code page, however,
programs (except Cmd.exe) that were started before assigning the new code page use the
original code page.
Examples:
To view the active code page setting, type:
chcp
A message similar to the following appears:
Active code page: 437
To change the active code page to 850 (Multilingual), type:
chcp 850
If the specified code page is invalid, the following error message appears:
Invalid code page
CHDIR
Displays the name of, or changes the current, directory.
See CD
CHKDSK
Checks a disk and displays a status report.
chkdsk [volume:][[Path] FileName] [/f] [/v] [/r] [/x] [/i] [/c] [/l[:size]]
Parameters:
- volume: -- Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point,
or volume name.
- [Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of a file or set of files
that chkdsk is to check for fragmentation. Wildcard
characters (i.e. * and ?) can be used to specify multiple files.
- /f -- Fixes errors on the disk. The disk must be locked. If chkdsk cannot lock
the drive, a message appears asking if to check the drive the next time the
computer is restarted.
- /v -- Displays the name of each file in every directory as the disk is checked.
- /r -- Locates bad sectors and recovers readable information. The disk must be
locked.
- /x -- Use with NTFS only. Forces the volume to dismount first, if necessary.
All open handles to the drive are invalidated. /x also includes the
functionality of /f.
- /i -- Use with NTFS only. Performs a less vigorous check of index entries,
reducing the amount of time needed to run chkdsk.
- /c -- Use with NTFS only. Skips the checking of cycles within the folder
structure, reducing the amount of time needed to run chkdsk.
- /l[:size] -- Use with NTFS only. Changes the log file size to the size specified.
If the size parameter is omitted, /l displays the current size.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Chkdsk also lists and corrects errors on the disk. Used without parameters, chkdsk
displays the status of the disk in the current drive.
Running chkdsk
==============
Running chkdsk on a fixed disk must be done by a member of the Administrators group.
Checking a locked drive at restart:
===================================
To have chkdsk correct disk errors, no files on the drive can be open. If files are
open, the following error message appears:
Chkdsk cannot run because the volume is in use by another process. Would you like
to schedule this volume to be checked the next time the system restarts? (Y/N)
If choose to check the drive the next time the computer os restarted, chkdsk checks
the drive and corrects errors automatically when the computer is restarted. If the
drive partition is a boot partition, chkdsk automatically restarts the computer
after it checks the drive.
Reporting disk errors:
======================
Chkdsk examines disk space and disk use for the file allocation table (FAT) and NTFS
file systems. Chkdsk provides information specific to each file system in a status
report. The status report shows errors found in the file system. Running chkdsk
without the /f command-line option on an active partition might report spurious
errors because it cannot lock the drive. Use chkdsk on occasion to check each disk
for errors.
Fixing disk errors:
===================
Chkdsk corrects disk errors only if the /f command-line option is specified. Chkdsk
must be able to lock the drive to correct errors. Because repairs usually change a
disk's file allocation table and sometimes cause a loss of data, chkdsk sends a
confirmation message similar to the following:
10 lost allocation units found in 3 chains.
Convert lost chains to files?
If press Y, Windows saves each lost chain in the root directory as a file with a
name in the format Filennnn.chk. When chkdsk finishes, these files can be checked
to see if they contain any needed data. If press N, Windows fixes the disk, but it
does not save the contents of the lost allocation units.
If the /f command-line option is not used, chkdsk sends a message if a file needs
to be fixed, but it does not fix any errors.
If chkdsk /f is used on a very large disk (for example, 70 gigabytes) or a disk
with a very large number of files (for example, millions of files), chkdsk might
take a long time (for example, over several days) to complete. The computer is
not available during this time because chkdsk does not relinquish control until
it is finished.
Checking a FAT disk:
====================
Windows displays chkdsk status reports for a FAT (File Allocation System, use
before before Windows 2000) disk in the following format:
Volume Serial Number is B1AF-AFBF
72214528 bytes total disk space
73728 bytes in 3 hidden files
30720 bytes in 12 directories
11493376 bytes in 386 user files
61440 bytes in bad sectors
60555264 bytes available on disk
2048 bytes in each allocation unit
35261 total allocation units on disk
29568 available allocation units on disk
Checking an NTFS disk:
======================
Windows displays chkdsk status reports for an NTFS (New Technology File System,
for Windows NT and Windows 2000 and after) disk in the following format:
The type of the file system is NTFS.
CHKDSK is verifying files...
File verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying indexes...
Index verification completed.
CHKDSK is verifying security descriptors...
Security descriptor verification completed.
12372 kilobytes total disk space.
3 kilobytes in 1 user files.
2 kilobytes in 1 indexes.
4217 kilobytes in use by the system.
8150 kilobytes available on disk.
512 bytes in each allocation unit.
24745 total allocation units on disk.
16301 allocation units available on disk.
Using chkdsk with open files:
=============================
If the /f command-line option isspecified, chkdsk sends an error message if there
are open files on the disk. If the /f command-line option is not specified and
open files exist, chkdsk might report lost allocation units on the disk. This
could happen if open files have not yet been recorded in the file allocation table.
If chkdsk reports the loss of a large number of allocation units, consider
repairing the disk.
Finding physical disk errors:
=============================
Use the /r command-line option to find physical disk errors in the file system.
For information about recovering physically damaged files with recover,
see Related Topics.
Reporting bad disk sectors:
===========================
Bad sectors reported by chkdsk were marked as bad when the disk was first prepared
for operation. They pose no danger.
Understanding exit codes:
=========================
The following table lists the exit codes that chkdsk reports after it has finished.
Exit code - Description
0 - No errors were found.
1 - Errors were found and fixed.
2 - Disk cleanup, such as garbage collection, was performed, or cleanup was not
performed because /f was not specified.
3 - Could not check the disk, errors could not be fixed, or errors were not
fixed because /f was not specified.
The chkdsk command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery
Console.
Examples:
To check the disk in drive D and have Windows fix errors, type:
chkdsk d: /f
If it encounters errors, chkdsk pauses and displays messages. Chkdsk finishes by
displaying a report that lists the status of the disk. Files on the specified
drive cannot be opened until chkdsk finishes.
To check all of files on a FAT disk in the current directory for noncontiguous
blocks, type:
chkdsk *.*
Chkdsk displays a status report, and then lists the files matching the file
specification that have noncontiguous blocks.
CHKNTFS
Displays or specifies whether automatic system checking is scheduled to be run on a FAT, FAT32,
or NTFS volume when the computer is started.
chkntfs volume: [...]
chkntfs [/d]
chkntfs [/t[:time]]
chkntfs [/x volume: [...]]
chkntfs [/c volume: [...]]
Parameters:
- volume: [...] -- Required. Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point,
or volume name. Displays a message that identifies the file system of the
specified volume. If automatic file checking is scheduled to be run, this
parameter displays a message indicating whether the volume has been
corrupted, which requires chkdsk to be run.
- /d -- Restores all chkntfs default settings, except the countdown time for automatic file
checking. Default behavior is to check all volumes when the computer is started.
- /t[:time] -- Changes the Autochk.exe initiation countdown time to the specified amount of
time entered in seconds. If :time is not specified then /t displays the
current countdown time.
- /x volume: [...] -- Excludes the specified volume from being checked when the computer
starts, even if the volume is marked as requiring chkdsk.
- /c volume: [...] -- Schedules the specified volume to be checked when the computer starts.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
chkntfs can only be run by a member of the Administrators group.
If no parameters are specified, CHKNTFS will display if the specified drive is dirty or
scheduled to be checked on next reboot.
Although the Autochk.exe initiation countdown time can be set to zero, a potentially time-
consuming automatic file check cannot be cancelled if it is set to zero.
Examples:
To display the Autochk.exe initiation countdown time, type:
chkntfs /t
When changing the Autochk.exe initiation countdown time, type the time in seconds. For
example, to change the countdown time to 30 seconds, type:
chkntfs /t:30
The /x command-line option is not accumulative. If it is typed more than once, the most
recent entry overrides the previous entry. To exclude multiple volumes, list them all in
one command. For example, to exclude both the E: and F: volumes, type:
chkntfs /x e: f:
To exclude the F: volume only, type:
chkntfs /x e:
chkntfs /x f:
The /c command-line option is accumulative. To check the specified volume only, reset the
defaults to clear any previous commands, exclude all volumes from being checked, and then
schedule automatic file checking on the desired volume.
For example, to schedule automatic file checking on the D: volume only, type:
chkntfs /d
chkntfs /x c: d: e:
chkntfs /c d:
CLS
Clears the screen.
CLS
CMD
Starts a new instance of the command interpreter, Cmd.exe. Used without parameters,
cmd displays Windows XP version and copyright information.
cmd [[{/c|/k}] [/s] [/q] [/d] [{/a|/u}] [/t:fg] [/e:{on|off}] [/f:{on|off}]
[/v:{on|off}] string]
Parameters:
- /c -- Carries out the command specified by string and then stops.
- /r -- Carries out the command specified by string and then stops.
- /k -- Carries out the command specified by string and continues.
- /s -- Modifies the treatment of string after /c or /k.
- /q -- Turns the echo off.
- /d -- Disables execution of AutoRun commands.
- /a -- Creates American National Standards Institute (ANSI) output.
- /u -- Creates Unicode output.
- /t:fg -- Sets the foreground f and background g colors. The following tables
lists valid hexadecimal digits available to use as the values for f and g.
Value - Color Value - Color
0 - Black 8 - Gray
1 - Blue 9 - Light blue
2 - Green A - Light green
3 - Aqua B - Light aqua
4 - Red C - Light red
5 - Purple D - Light purple
6 - Yellow E - Light yellow
7 - White F - Bright white
- /e:on -- Enables command extensions.
- /e:off -- Disables commands extensions.
- /x -- Enables command extensions.
- /y -- Disables commands extensions.
- /f:on -- Enables file and directory name completion.
- /f:off -- Disables file and directory name completion.
- /v:on -- Enables delayed environment variable expansion.
- /v:off -- Disables delayed environment variable expansion.
- string -- Specifies the command to carry out.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
ALT plus ENTER keys will toggle the command prompt between full-screen mode and
back to its default size mode.
Using multiple commands (command chaining):
===========================================
Multiple commands are separated by the command separator && for string, but they
must enclose them in quotation marks (for example, "command&&command&&command").
Processing quotation marks:
===========================
If specify /c or /k, cmd processes the remainder of string and quotation marks are
preserved only if all of the following conditions are met:
- You do not use /s.
- Use exactly one set of quotation marks.
- Do not use any special characters within the quotation marks (ex.: &<>( ) @ ^ |).
- Use one or more white-space characters within the quotation marks.
- The string within quotation marks is the name of an executable file.
If the previous conditions are not met, string is processed by examining the first
character to verify whether or not it is an opening quotation mark. If the first
character is an opening quotation mark, it is stripped along with the closing
quotation mark. Any text following the closing quotation marks is preserved.
Or, to put it another way, if /C or /K is specified, then the remainder of the
command line after the switch is processed as a command line, where the following
logic is used to process quote (") characters:
1. If all of the following conditions are met, then quote characters
on the command line are preserved:
- no /S switch
- exactly two quote characters
- no special characters between the two quote characters,
where special is one of: &<>()@^|
- there are one or more whitespace characters between the
the two quote characters
- the string between the two quote characters is the name
of an executable file.
2. Otherwise, old behavior is to see if the first character is
a quote character and if so, strip the leading character and
remove the last quote character on the command line, preserving
any text after the last quote character.
Executing registry subkeys:
===========================
If /d is not specified in string, Cmd.exe looks for the following registry subkeys:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun\REG_SZ
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\AutoRun REG_EXPAND_SZ
If either one or both registry subkeys are present, they are executed before all
other variables.
Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage the system. Before
making changes to the registry, back up any valued data on the computer.
Enabling and disabling command extensions:
==========================================
Command extensions are enabled by default in Windows XP. They can be disabled for
a particular process by using /e:off. Extensions can be enabled or disabled for
all cmd command-line options on a computer or user session by setting the following
REG_DWORD values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\EnableExtensions\REG_DWORD
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\EnableExtensions\REG_DWORD
Set the REG_DWORD value to either 0×1 (i.e. enabled) or 0×0 (i.e. disabled) in the
registry by using Regedit.exe. User-specified settings take precedence over computer
settings, and command-line options take precedence over registry settings.
Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage the system. Before
making changes to the registry, back up any valued data on the computer.
When enabling command extensions, the following commands are affected:
assoc if
call md (mkdir)
cd (chdir) popd
color prompt
del (erase) pushd
endlocal set
for setlocal
ftype shift
goto start (also includes changes to external command invocation)
For more information about these commands, see Related Topics.
Enabling delayed environment variable expansion:
================================================
If delayed environment variable expansion is enabled, use the exclamation character
to substitute the value of an environment variable at run time.
Enabling file and directory name completion:
============================================
File and directory name completion is not enabled by default. Enable or disable file
name completion for a particular process of the cmd command with /f:{on|off}. Enable
or disable file and directory name completion for all processes of the cmd command on
a computer or user logon session by setting the following REG_DWORD values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar\REG_DWORD
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar\REG_DWORD
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\CompletionChar\REG_DWORD
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor\PathCompletionChar\REG_DWORD
To set the REG_DWORD value, run Regedit.exe and use the hexadecimal value of a control
character for a particular function (for example, 0×9 is TAB and 0×08 is BACKSPACE).
User-specified settings take precedence over computer settings, and command-line
options take precedence over registry settings.
Caution: Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage the system. Before
making changes to the registry, back up any valued data on the computer.
If enable file and directory name completion by using /f:on, use CTRL+D for directory
name completion and CTRL+F for file name completion. To disable a particular completion
character in the registry, use the value for white space [0×20] because it is not a
valid control character.
When press CTRL+D or CTRL+F, cmd processes file and directory name completion. These
key combination functions append a wildcard character to string (i.e. if one is not
present), build a list of paths that match, and then display the first matching path.
If none of the paths match, the file and directory name completion function beeps and
does not change the display. To move through the list of matching paths, press CTRL+D
or CTRL+F repeatedly. To move through the list backwards, press the SHIFT key and
CTRL+D or CTRL+F simultaneously. To discard the saved list of matching paths and
generate a new list, edit string and press CTRL+D or CTRL+F. If switch between CTRL+D
and CTRL+F, the saved list of matching paths is discarded and a new list is generated.
The only difference between the key combinations CTRL+D and CTRL+F is that CTRL+D only
matches directory names and CTRL+F matches both file and directory names. If use file
and directory name completion on any of the built-in directory commands (i.e. CD, MD,
or RD), directory completion is assumed.
File and directory name completion correctly processes file names that contain
whitespace or special characters if place quotation marks around the matching path.
The following special characters require quotation marks:
& < > [ ] { } ^ = ; ! ' + , ` ~ [white space]
If the supplied information contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text
(ex. "Computer Name").
If process file and directory name completion from within string, any part of the
[Path] to the right of the cursor is discarded (i.e. at the point in string where
the completion was processed).
COLOR
Changes the Command Prompt window foreground and background colors for the current session.
color [fb]
Parameters:
- fb -- Sets the foreground f and background g colors. The following tables lists valid
hexadecimal digits that can be used as the values for f and g.
Value - Color
0 - Black
1 - Blue
2 - Green
3 - Aqua
4 - Red
5 - Purple
6 - Yellow
7 - White
8 - Gray
9 - Light blue
A - Light green
B - Light aqua
C - Light red
D - Light purple
E - Light yellow
F - Bright white
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, color restores the default Command Prompt window foreground and
background colors as set when CMD.EXE was started. This value either comes from the current
console window, the /T command line switch or from the DefaultColor registry value.
To set the default Command Prompt window color, click the upper-left corner of the command
prompt window, click Defaults, click the Colors tab, and then click the colors that to use
for the Screen Text and Screen Background.
Use cmd /t:fb to change the Command Prompt window colors for the current session.
If the foreground and background colors are the same, the color command sets ERRORLEVEL to
one (1).
Examples:
To change the Command Prompt window foreground color to red and background to white, type:
color FC
COMP
Compares the contents of two files, or sets of files, byte by byte.
comp [data1] [data2] [/d] [/a] [/l] [/n=number] [/c]
Parameters:
- data1 -- Specifies the location and name of the first file or set of files to
compare. Wildcard characters (* and ?) can be used to specify multiple
files.
- data2 -- Specifies the location and name of the second file or set of files to
compare. Wwildcard characters (* and ?) can be used to specify multiple
files.
- /d -- Displays differences in decimal format. (The default format is hexadecimal.)
- /a -- Displays differences as characters.
- /l -- Displays the number of the line on which a difference occurs, instead of
displaying the byte offset.
- /n=number -- Compares the first number of lines of both files, even if the files
are different sizes.
- /c -- Performs a comparison that is not case-sensitive.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Comp can compare files on the same drive or on different drives, and in the same
directory or in different directories. When comp compares the files, it displays
their locations and file names. Used without parameters, comp prompts the entry
of the files to compare.
Comparing files with the same names:
====================================
The compared files can have the same file name, provided they are in different
directories or on different drives. If a name for data2 is not specified, the
default file name for data2 is the same as the file name in data1. Wwildcard
characters (i.e. * and ?) can be used to specify file names.
Special cases for data1 and data2
==================================
If necessary components of either data1 or data2 are omitted or data2 is omitted,
comp prompts for the missing information. If data1 contains only a drive letter
or a directory name with no file name, comp compares all of the files in the
specified directory to the file specified in data2. If data2 contains only a
drive letter or a directory name, the default file name for data2 is the same
as that in data1.
How the comp command identifies mismatching information:
========================================================
During the comparison, comp displays messages to identify the locations of unequal
information in the two files. Each message indicates the offset memory address of
the unequal bytes and the contents of the bytes themselves (i.e. in hexadecimal
notation unless the /a or /d command-line options are specified). The message
appears in the following format:
Compare error at OFFSET xxxxxxxx
file1 = xx
file2 = xx
After 10 unequal comparisons, comp stops comparing the files and displays the
following message:
10 Mismatches - ending compare
Comparing files of different sizes:
===================================
Files of different sizes can only be compared if the /n command-line option is
specified. If the file sizes are different, comp displays the following message:
Files are different sizes
Compare more files (Y/N)?
Press Y to compare another pair of files. Press N to stop the comp command.
Pressing Y in response to the prompt tells comp to include any command-line
options specified on the command line for every comparison it makes unless N is
pressed or the command is retyped.
When comparing files of different sizes, use the /n command-line option to
compare only the first portion of each file.
Comparing files sequentially:
=============================
If wildcard characters (* and ?) are used to specify multiple files, comp finds
the first file matching data1 and compares it with the corresponding file in
data2, if it exists. The comp command reports the results of the comparison, and
then does the same for each file matching data1. When finished, comp displays the
following message:
Compare more files (Y/N)?
To compare more files, press Y. The comp command prompts for the locations and
names of the new files. To stop the comparisons, press N. When press Y, comp
prompts for command-line options to use. If no command-line options are specified,
comp uses the ones specified previously.
If comp cannot find the files
If comp cannot find the file(s) specified, it prompts a message to determine
whether to compare more files.
Examples:
To compare the contents of the directory C:\Reports with the backup directory
\\Sales\Backup\April, type:
comp c:\reports \\sales\backup\april
To compare the first ten lines of the text files in the \Invoice directory and
display the result in decimal format, type:
comp \invoice\*.txt \invoice\backup\*.txt /n=10 /d
COMPACT
Displays and alters the compression of files or directories on NTFS partitions.
compact [{/c|/u}] [/s[:dir]] [/a] [/i] [/f] [/q] [FileName[...]]
Parameters:
- /c -- Compresses the specified directory or file.
- /u -- Uncompresses the specified directory or file.
- /s:dir -- Specifies that the requested action (compress or uncompress) be applied to all
subdirectories of the specified directory, or of the current directory if none
is specified.
- /a -- Displays hidden or system files.
- /i -- Ignores errors.
- /f -- Forces compression or uncompression of the specified directory or file. This is
used in the case of a file that was partly compressed when the operation was
interrupted by a system crash. To force the file to be compressed in its entirety,
use the /c and /f parameters and specify the partially compressed file.
- /q -- Reports only the most essential information.
- FileName -- Specifies the file or directory. Multiple file names and wildcard characters
(* and ?) can be used.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, compact displays the compression state of the current directory.
The compact command, the command-line version of the NTFS file system compression feature,
displays and alters the compression attribute of files and directories on NTFS partitions.
The compression state of a directory indicates whether files added to the directory will
be automatically compressed. When the compression state of a directory is set, it does not
necessarily change the compression state of files that are already there.
compact cannot be used to read, write, or mount volumes that have been compressed using
DriveSpace or DoubleSpace.
Examples:
To set the compression state of the current folder and its subfolders and existing files,
from the current folder, type:
compact /c /s
To set the compression state of files in the current folder, subfolders in the current
folder, and files within all subfolders without altering the compression state of the
current folder, from the current folder, type:
compact /c /s *.*
To compress a volume, from the root folder of the volume, type:
compact /c /i /s:\
This example sets the compression state of the root folder and all folders on the volume
and compresses every file on the volume. Using the /i parameter ensures that error messages
do not interrupt the compression process.
To compress all files that end in .bmp in the \Tmp directory and all subdirectories of \Tmp,
but not modify the compressed attribute of these directories, type:
compact /c /s:\tmp *.bmp
To force complete compression of the file Zebra.bmp, which was partially compressed at the
time of a system crash, type:
compact /c /f zebra.bmp
To remove the compressed attribute from the directory C:\Tmp, but not change the compression
state of any files in that directory, type:
compact /u c:\tmp
Computer Management
This is a short cut to start up the Computer Management dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
COMPMGMT.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
CONVERT
Converts FAT volumes to NTFS.
CONVERT volume /FS:NTFS [/V] [/CvtArea:filename] [/NoSecurity] [/X]
volume Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon),
mount point, or volume name.
/FS:NTFS Specifies that the volume is to be converted to NTFS.
/V Specifies that Convert should be run in verbose mode.
/CvtArea:filename
Specifies a contiguous file in the root directory to be
the place holder for NTFS system files.
/NoSecurity Specifies the converted files and directories security
settings to be accessible by everyone.
/X Forces the volume to dismount first if necessary.
All opened handles to the volume would then be invalid.
COPY
Copies one or more files to another location.
copy [/d] [/v] [/n] [{/y|/-y}] [/z] [{/a|/b}] Source [{/a|/b}]
[+ Source [{/a|/b}] [+ ...]] [Destination [{/a|/b}]]
Parameters:
- /d -- Allows the encrypted files being copied to be saved as decrypted files
at the destination.
- /v -- Verifies that new files are written correctly.
- /n -- Uses a short file name, if available, when copying a file with a name
longer than eight characters, or with a file extension longer than three
characters.
- /y -- Suppresses prompting to confirm to overwrite an existing destination file.
- /-y -- Prompts to confirm to overwrite an existing destination file.
- /z -- Copies networked files in restartable mode.
- /a -- Indicates an ASCII text file.
- /b -- Indicates a binary file.
- Source -- Required. Specifies the location from which to copy a file or set of
files. Source can consist of a drive letter and colon, a folder name,
a file name, or a combination of these.
- Destination -- Required. Specifies the location to copy a file or set of files.
Destination can consist of a drive letter and colon, a folder
name, a file name, or a combination of these.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
An ASCII text file that uses an end-of-file character (i.e. CTRL+Z) to indicate
the end of the file can be copied.
Using /a:
=========
When /a precedes a list of files on the command line, it applies to all files
listed until copy encounters /b. In this case, /b applies to the file preceding /b.
When /a follows a list of files on the command line, it applies to all listed
files until copy encounters /b. In this case, /b applies to the file preceding /b.
The effect of /a depends on its position in the command-line string. When /a follows
Source, copy treats the file as an ASCII file and copies data that precedes the
first end-of-file character.
When /a follows Destination, copy adds an end-of-file character as the last
character of the file.
Using /b:
=========
/b directs the command interpreter to read the number of bytes specified by the file
size in the directory. /b is the default value for copy, unless copy combines files.
When /b precedes a list of files on the command line, it applies to all listed files
until copy encounters /a. In this case, /a applies to the file preceding /a.
When /b follows a list of files on the command line, it applies to all listed files
until copy encounters /a. In this case, /a applies to the file preceding /a.
The effect of /b depends on its position in the commandline string. When /b follows
Source, copy copies the entire file, including any end-of-file character.
When /b follows Destination, copy does not add an end-of-file character.
Using /v:
=========
If a write operation cannot be verified an error message appears. Although recording
errors rarely occur with copy, the /v option can be used to verify that critical data
has been correctly recorded. The /v command-line option also slows down the copy
command, because each sector recorded on the disk must be checked.
Using /y and /-y:
=================
If /y is preset in the COPYCMD environment variable, it can be overridden by using /-y
at the command line. By default, a prompt appends when this setting is replaced unless
the copy command is executed in a batch script.
Appending files:
================
To append files, specify a single file for Destination, but multiple files for Source
(using wildcard characters or file1+file2+file3 format).
Using /z:
=========
If the connection is lost during the copy phase (for example, if the server going
offline severs the connection), copy /z resumes after the connection is reestablished.
/z also displays the percentage of the copy operation that is completed for each file.
Copying to and from devices:
============================
A device name can be substituted for one or more occurrences of Source or Destination.
Using or omitting /b when copying to a device:
==============================================
When Destination is a device (for example, Com1 or Lpt1), /b copies data to the device
in binary mode. In binary mode, copy /b copies all characters (i.e. including special
characters, such as CTRL+C, CTRL+S, CTRL+Z, and carriage return) to the device as data.
However, if option /b is omitted, data is copied to the device in ASCII mode. In ASCII
mode, special characters might cause Windows XP to combine files during the copying
process. For more information, see "Combining files."
Using the default destination file:
===================================
If a destination file is not specified, a copy is created with the same name, modified
date, and modified time as the original file, placing the new copy in the current
directory on the current drive. If the source file is on the current drive and in the
current directory and a different drive or directory is not specified for the destination
file, the copy command stops and displays the following error message:
File cannot be copied onto itself
0 File(s) copied
Combining files:
================
If more than one Source is specified, separating entries with a plus sign (+), copy
combines the files into a single file. Wildcard characters (i.e. * or ?) can be specified
in Source, but specifying a single file name in Destination, copy combines all files
matching the file name in Source and creates a single file with the file name specified
in Destination. In either case, copy assumes the combined files are ASCII files unless
the /b option is used.
Copying zero-length files:
==========================
Copy does not copy files that are 0 bytes long. Use xcopy to copy these files.
Changing the time and date of a file:
=====================================
To assign the current time and date to a file without modifying the file, use the
following syntax:
copy /b Source+,,
The commas indicate the omission of the Destination parameter.
Copying files in subdirectories:
================================
To copy all of a directory's files and subdirectories, use the xcopy command. For
information about xcopy, see Related Topics.
The copy command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Examples:
To copy a file called Memo.doc to Letter.doc in the current drive and ensure that an
end-of-file character is at the end of the copied file, type:
copy memo.doc letter.doc /a
To copy a file named Robin.typ from the current drive and directory to an existing
directory named Birds that is located on drive C, type:
copy robin.typ c:\birds
If the Birds directory does not exist, the file Robin.typ is copied into a file named
Birds that is located in the root directory on the disk in drive C.
To copy several files into one file, list several Source files, separate the file names
with a plus sign (+), and specify a Destination file that to contain the resulting
combined file. For example, to combine Mar09.rpt, Apr09.rpt, and May09.rpt, which are
located on the current drive and directory, and place them in a file named Report on the
current drive and directory, type:
copy mar09.rpt + apr09.rpt + may09.rpt report
When combining files, copy marks the destination file with the current date and time.
If Destination is omitted, the files are combined and stored under the name of the file
specified first. For example, to combine all four files in Report when a file named
Report already exists, type:
copy report + mar09.rpt + apr09.rpt + may09.rpt
Combining several files into one file can be done by using wildcard characters
(i.e. * or ?). For example, to combine all files in the current directory on the current
drive that have the extension .txt into one file named Combin.doc, type:
copy *.txt combin.doc
To combine several binary files into one file by using wildcard characters, include /b.
This prevents Windows XP from treating CTRL+Z as an end-of-file character. For example,
type:
copy /b *.exe combin.exe
Caution:
========
If binary files are combined, the resulting file might be unusable due to internal
formatting.
In the following example, copy combines each file that has a .txt extension with its
corresponding .ref file. The result is a file with the same file name but with a .doc
extension. Copy combines File1.txt with File1.ref to form File1.doc, and then copy
combines File2.txt with File2.ref to form File2.doc, and so on. For example, type:
copy *.txt + *.ref *.doc
To combine all files with the .txt extension, and then combine all files with the
.ref extension into one file named Combin.doc, type:
copy *.txt + *.ref combin.doc
DATE
Displays or sets the date.
DATE [/T | date]
Parameters:
- mm-dd-yy : Sets the date specified where mm is month, dd is day, and yy is year.
- /t : Displays the current date without prompting for a new date.
- /? : Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The values for mm, dd, and yy must be separated with periods (.), hyphens (-), or
slash marks (/).
Valid mm values are 1 through 12.
Valid dd values are 1 through 31.
Valid yy values are 80 through 99, or 1980 through 2099.
Windows XP changes the month and year automatically, whether the month has 28, 29,
30, or 31 days.
Examples:
To change the date to August 3, 2000, type any of the following:
08.03.00
08-03-00
08/03/00
To display the current system date, type:
date /t
DEFRAG
Locates and consolidates fragmented boot files, data files, and folders on disk drives.
defrag volume
defrag volume [/a]
defrag volume [/a] [/v]
defrag volume [/v]
defrag volume [/f]
Parameters:
volume -- The drive letter or a mount point of the volume to be defragmented.
/a -- Analyzes the volume and displays a summary of the analysis report.
/v -- Displays the complete analysis and defragmentation reports.
When used in combination with /a, displays only the analysis report.
When used alone, displays both the analysis and defragmentation reports.
/f -- Forces defragmentation of the volume regardless of whether it needs to
be defragmented.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
- A volume must have at least 15% free space for defrag to completely and
adequately defragment it. Defrag uses this space as a sorting area for file
fragments. If a volume has less than 15% free space, defrag will only
partially defragment it. To increase the free space on a volume, delete
unneeded files or move them to another disk.
- Volumes marked by defrag as 'dirty' cannot be defragmented since 'dirty'
indicates possible corruption. For 'dirty' drives, chkdsk must first be run
on them before defragmenting it. The fsutil command can determine if a volume
is 'dirty'.
- While defrag is analyzing and defragmenting a volume, it displays a blinking
cursor. When defrag is finished analyzing and defragmenting the volume, it
displays the analysis report, the defragmentation report, or both reports,
and then exits to the command prompt.
- By default, defrag displays a summary of both the analysis and defragmentation
reports if the /a or /v parameters are not specified.
- The reports can be sent to a text file by typing >filename.txt, where
filename.txt is a specified file name. For example:
defrag volume /v >filename.txt
- To interrupt defragmentation, at the command line, press CTRL+C.
- Running the defrag command and Disk Defragmenter are mutually exclusive.
If using Disk Defragmenter to defragment a volume and running the defrag
command at a command-line, the defrag command fails. Conversely, if
running the defrag command and open Disk Defragmenter, the defragmentation
options in Disk Defragmenter are unavailable.
DEL
Deletes one or more files.
del [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:attributes]]
erase [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...] [/p] [/f] [/s] [/q] [/a[:attributes]]
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the file or
set of files to delete. Filename is required. Mmultiple file names
can be specified. Separate file names with spaces, commas, or semicolons.
- /p -- Prompts for confirmation before deleting the specified file.
- /f -- Forces deletion of read-only files.
- /s -- Deletes specified files from the current directory and all subdirectories.
Displays the names of the files as they are being deleted.
- /q -- Specifies quiet mode -- no prompt for delete confirmation is given.
- /a -- Deletes files based on specified attributes.
- attributes -- Specifies any of the following file attributes:
Attribute - Description
r - Read-only
a - Archive
s - System
h - Hidden
- - Prefix meaning "not"
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using /p:
=========
If /p is used, del displays the name of a file and sends the following message:
filename, Delete (Y/N)?
Press Y to confirm the deletion, N to cancel the deletion and display the next
file name (if a group of files was specified), or CTRL+C to stop the del command.
Disabling command extensions:
=============================
If command extensions are disabled, the /s command-line option displays the names
of any files that were not found, instead of displaying the names of files that
are being deleted (i.e. the behavior is reversed). For more information about
disabling command extensions, see cmd in Related Topics.
Deleting more than one file at a time:
======================================
To delete all of the files in a folder, type del followed by [Drive:]Path. For
example, the following command deletes all files in the \Work folder:
del \work
Wildcards (i.e. * and ?) can be used to delete more than one file at a time.
However, use wildcards cautiously with the del command to avoid deleting files
unintentionally. For example, by typing the following command:
del *.*
The del command displays the following prompt:
All files in directory will be deleted! Are you sure (Y/N)?
Press Y and then ENTER to delete all files in the current folder, or press N
and then ENTER to cancel the deletion.
Before using wildcards with the del command to delete a group of files, use
the same wildcards with the dir command to see a list of the names of all the
files included in the group.
Warning: After deleting a file from your disk using del, it cannot be retrieved.
The del command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Examples:
To delete all files in a folder named Test on drive C:\, type either of the following:
del c:\test
del c:\test\*.*
Desktop Display Settings
This is a short cut to start up the DESKTOP DISPLAY Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
DESK.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Device Manager
This is a short cut to start up the Device Manager dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
DEVMGMT.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Defragment Disk
This is a short cut to start up the Defragment Disk dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
DFRG.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
DIR
Displays a list of a directory's files and subdirectories.
dir [Drive:][Path][FileName] [...] [/p] [/q] [/w] [/d] [/a[[:]attributes]]
[/o[[:]SortOrder]] [/t[[:]TimeField]] [/s] [/b] [/l] [/n] [/x] [/c] [/4]
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] -- Specifies the drive and directory for which to display a listing.
- [FileName] -- Specifies a particular file or group of files for which to display a listing.
- /p -- Displays one screen of the listing at a time. To see the next screen, press any key
on the keyboard.
- /q -- Displays file ownership information.
- /w -- Displays the listing in wide format, with as many as five file names or directory
names on each line.
- /d -- Same as /w but files are sorted by column.
- /a [[:] attributes] -- Displays only the names of those directories and files with the
attributes specified. If /a is omitted, dir displays the names of all files except
hidden and system files. If /a is specified without any attributes, dir displays the
names of all files, including hidden and system files. The following list describes
each of the values that can be used for attributes. The colon (:) is optional. Use
any combination of these values, and do not separate the values with spaces.
Value - Description
h - Hidden files
s - System files
d - Directories
a - Files ready for archiving
r - Read-only files
-h - Files that are not hidden
-s - Files other than system files
-d - Files only (not directories)
-a - Files that have not changed since the last backup
-r - Files that are not read-only
- /o [[:]SortOrder] -- Controls the order in which dir sorts and displays directory names and
file names. If /o is omitted, dir displays the names in the order in which they
occur in the directory. If /o is specified without SortOrder, dir displays the
names of the directories, sorted in alphabetic order, and then displays the names
of files, sorted in alphabetic order. The colon (:) is optional. The following
list describes each of the values that can be used for SortOrder. Use any
combination of the values, and do not separate these values with white spaces.
Value - Description
n - In alphabetic order by name
e - In alphabetic order by extension
d - By date and time, earliest first
s - By size, smallest first
g - With directories grouped before files
-n - In reverse alphabetic order by name (Z through A)
-e - In reverse alphabetic order by extension (.ZZZ through .AAA)
-d - By date and time, latest first
-s - By size, largest first
-g - With directories grouped after files
- /t [[:]TimeField] -- Specifies which time field to display or use for sorting. The following
list describes each of the values that can be used for TimeField.
Value - Description
c - Creation
a - Last access
w - Last written
- /s -- Lists every occurrence, in the specified directory and all subdirectories, of the
specified file name.
- /b -- Lists each directory name or file name, one per line, including the file name extension.
/b does not display heading information or a summary. /b overrides /w.
- /l -- Displays unsorted directory names and file names in lowercase. /l does not convert
extended characters to lowercase.
- /n -- Displays a long list format with file names on the far right of the screen.
- /x -- Displays the short names generated for files on NTFS and FAT volumes. The display is
the same as the display for /n, but short names are displayed after the long name.
- /c -- Displays the thousand separator in file sizes.
- /4 -- Displays four-digit year format.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, dir displays the disk's volume label and serial number, followed by
a list of directories and files on the disk, including their names and the date and time each
was last modified. For files, dir displays the name extension and the size in bytes. Dir also
displays the total number of files and directories listed, their cumulative size, and the free
space (in bytes) remaining on the disk.
Using multiple filenames:
=========================
Multiple filenames can be used. Separate file names with spaces, commas, or semicolons.
Wildcard characters (i.e. ? and *) can be used in FileName to display a group of files.
Using wildcards:
================
Wildcards (i.e. ? and *) can be used to display a list of a subset of files and subdirectories.
Specifying file display attributes:
===================================
If /a is used with more than one value in attributes, dir displays the names of only those
files with all the specified attributes. For example, if /a is used with r and -h for
attributes by using either /a:r-h or /ar-h, dir displays only the names of read-only files
that are not hidden.
Specifying file name sorting:
=============================
If more than one SortOrder value is specified, dir sorts the file names by the first criterion
first, then by the second criterion, and so on. For example, if /o is used with the e and -s
values for SortOrder by using either /o:e-s or /oe-s, dir sorts the names of directories and
files by extension, with the largest first, and then displays the final result. The alphabetic
sorting by extension causes file names with no extensions to appear first, then directory
names, and then file names with extensions.
Using redirection symbols and pipes:
====================================
When using a redirection symbol (>) to send dir output to a file or a pipe (|) to send dir
output to another command, use /a:-d and /b to list the file names only. FileName can be used
with /b and /s to specify that dir is to search the current directory and its subdirectories
for all file names that match FileName. Dir lists only the drive letter, directory name, file
name, and file name extension, one path per line, for each file name it finds. Before using a
pipe for redirection, set the TEMP environment variable in the Autoexec.nt file or or in the
system variables.
Presetting dir parameters:
==========================
dir parameters can be preset by including set with the DIRCMD environment variable in the
Autoexec.nt file. Any valid combination of dir parameters can be used with set dircmd, i
ncluding the location and name of a file.
For example, to use the DIRCMD environment variable to set the wide display format (i.e. /w)
as the default format, type the following command in the Autoexec.nt file:
set dircmd=/w
For a single use of the dir command, a parameter can be overridden by using the DIRCMD
environment variable. To do so, type the parameter to override at the dir command prompt,
preceding the parameter with a minus sign. For example:
dir /-w
To change the DIRCMD default settings, type:
set=NewParameter
The new default settings are effective for all subsequent dir commands until set dircmd is
used again or until the computer is restarted.
To clear all default settings, type:
set dircmd=
To view the current settings of the DIRCMD environment variable, type:
set
Set displays a list of environment variables and their settings. For more information about
setting environment variables, see Related Topics.
The dir command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Examples:
To display all directories, one after the other, in alphabetical order, in wide format and
pausing after each screen, make sure that the root directory is the current directory, and
then type:
dir /s/w/o/p
Dir lists the name of the root directory, the names of the subdirectories of the root
directory, and the names of the files in the root directory, including extensions. Then,
dir lists the subdirectory names and file names in each subdirectory in the tree.
To alter the preceding example so that dir displays the file names and extensions, but
omits the directory names, type:
dir /s/w/o/p/a:-d
To print a directory listing, type:
dir > prn
When specifing prn, the directory list is sent to the printer attached to the LPT1 port.
If the printer is attached to a different port, prn must be replaced with the name of
the correct port.
Output of the dir command can be redirected to a file by replacing prn with a file name.
A path can also be typed. For example, to direct dir output to the file Dir.doc in the
Records directory, type:
dir > \records\dir.doc
If Dir.doc does not exist, dir creates it, unless the Records directory does not exist.
In that case, the following message appears:
File creation error
To display a list of all the file names with the .txt extension in all directories on
drive C, type:
dir c:\*.txt /w/o/s/p
Dir displays, in wide format, an alphabetized list of the matching file names in each
directory and pauses each time the screen fills up, until any key is pressed to continue.
DISKCOMP
Compare the contents of two floppy disks.
diskcomp [drive1: [drive2:]]
Parameters:
- drive1 -- Specifies the drive containing one of the floppy disks.
- drive2 -- Specifies the drive containing the other floppy disk.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, diskcomp uses the current drive for both disks to compare.
Using disks:
============
The diskcomp command works only with floppy disks. diskcomp cannot be used with a hard
disk. If a hard disk drive is specified for drive1 or drive2, diskcomp displays the
following error message:
Invalid drive specification
Specified drive does not exist
or is nonremovable
Comparing disks:
================
If all tracks on the two disks being compared are the same, diskcomp displays the
following message:
Compare OK
If the tracks are not the same, diskcomp displays a message similar to the following:
Compare error on
side 1, track 2
When diskcomp completes the comparison, it displays the following message:
Compare another diskette (Y/N)?
If press Y, diskcomp prompts to insert disks for the next comparison. If press N,
diskcomp stops the comparison.
When diskcomp makes the comparison, it ignores a disk's volume number.
Omitting drive parameters:
==========================
If drive2 parameter is omitted, diskcomp uses the current drive for drive2. If both
drive parameters are omitted, diskcomp uses the current drive for both. If the current
drive is the same as drive1, diskcomp prompts for swapping disks as necessary.
Using one drive:
================
If the same floppy disk drive is specified for drive1 and drive2, diskcomp does a comparison
by using one drive and prompts for inserting the disks as necessary. The disks might need to
be swapped more than once, depending on the capacity of the disks and the amount of
available memory.
Comparing different types of disks:
===================================
Diskcomp cannot compare a single-sided disk with a double-sided disk, nor a high-density
disk with a double-density disk. If the disk in drive1 is not of the same type as the disk
in drive2, diskcomp displays the following message:
Drive types or diskette types not compatible
Using diskcomp with networks and redirected drives:
===================================================
Diskcomp does not work on a network drive or on a drive created by the subst command. If
attempt to use diskcomp with a drive of any of these types, diskcomp displays the
following error message:
Invalid drive specification
Comparing an original disk with a copy:
=======================================
When using diskcomp with a disk that was made by using copy, diskcomp might display a
message similar to the following:
Compare error on
side 0, track 0
This type of error can occur even if the files on the disks are identical. Although copy
duplicates information, it does not necessarily place it in the same location on the
destination disk. For more information about comparing individual files on two disks by
using Fc, see Related Topics.
Understanding diskcomp exit codes:
==================================
The following table lists each exit code and a brief description.
Exit code - Description
0 - Disks are the same
1 - Differences were found
3 - Hard error occurred
4 - Initialization error occurred
To process exit codes returned by diskcomp, use errorlevel on the if command line in a
batch program.
Examples:
If the computer has only one floppy disk drive (for example, drive A), and two disks are
to be compared, type:
diskcomp a: a:
Diskcomp prompts to insert each disk, as needed.
The following example illustrates how to process a diskcomp exit code in a batch program
that uses the errorlevel parameter on the if command line:
rem Checkout.bat compares the disks in drive A and B
echo off
diskcomp a: b:
if errorlevel 4 goto ini_error
if errorlevel 3 goto hard_error
if errorlevel 1 goto no_compare
if errorlevel 0 goto compare_ok
:ini_error
echo ERROR: Insufficient memory or command invalid
goto exit
:hard_error
echo ERROR: An irrecoverable error occurred
goto exit
:break
echo "CTRL+C pressed" to stop the comparison
goto exit
:no_compare
echo Disks are not the same
goto exit
:compare_ok
echo The comparison was successful; the disks are the same
goto exit
:exit
DISKCOPY
Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another.
diskcopy [drive1: [drive2:]] [/v]
Parameters:
- drive1 -- Specifies the drive containing the source disk.
- drive2 -- Specifies the drive containing the destination disk.
- /v -- Verifies that the information is copied correctly. This command-line
option slows down the copying process.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, diskcopy uses the current drive for the source disk
and the destination disk.
Using disks:
============
Diskcopy works only with removable disks, such as floppy disks. diskcopy cannot
be used with a hard disk. If a hard disk drive is specified for drive1 or drive2,
diskcopy displays the following error message:
Invalid drive specification
Specified drive does not exist
or is nonremovable
The diskcopy command prompts to insert the source and destination disks and waits
for any key on the keyboard to be pressed before continuing.
After copying, diskcopy displays the following message:
Copy another diskette (Y/N)?
If press Y, diskcopy prompts to insert source and destination disks for the next
copy operation. To stop the diskcopy process, press N.
If copying to an unformatted floppy disk in drive2, diskcopy formats the disk with
the same number of sides and sectors per track as are on the disk in drive1.
Diskcopy displays the following message while it formats the disk and copies the files:
Formatting while copying
Disk serial numbers:
====================
If the source disk has a volume serial number, diskcopy creates a new volume serial
number for the destination disk and displays the number when the copy operation is
complete.
Omitting drive parameters:
==========================
If the drive2 parameter is omitted, diskcopy uses the current drive as the destination
drive. If both drive parameters are omitted, diskcopy uses the current drive for both.
If the current drive is the same as drive1, diskcopy prompts to swap disks as necessary.
Using one drive for copying:
============================
If drive1 and drive2 are the same, diskcopy prompts to switch disks. If both Drive
parameters are omitted and the current disk drive is a floppy disk drive, diskcopy
prompts each time a disk needs to be inserted in the drive. If the disks contain more
information than available memory can hold, diskcopy cannot read all of the information
at once. Diskcopy reads from the source disk, writes to the destination disk, and prompts
to insert the source disk again. This process continues until the entire disk has been
copied.
Avoiding disk fragmentation:
============================
Because diskcopy makes an exact copy of the source disk on the destination disk, any
fragmentation on the source disk is transferred to the destination disk. Fragmentation
is the presence of small areas of unused disk space between existing files on a disk.
A fragmented source disk can slow down the process of finding, reading, or writing files.
To avoid transferring fragmentation from one disk to another, use copy or xcopy to copy
the disk. Because copy and xcopy copy files sequentially, the new disk is not fragmented.
Warning: xcopy cannot be used to copy a startup disk.
Understanding diskcopy exit codes:
==================================
The following table lists each exit code and a brief description.
Exit code - Description
0 - Copy operation was successful
1 - Nonfatal read/write error occurred
3 - Fatal hard error occurred
4 - Initialization error occurred
To process exit codes returned by diskcomp, use the errorlevel on the if command line
in a batch program. For an example of a batch program that processes exit codes, see
diskcomp in Related Topics.
Examples:Examples:
To copy the disk in drive B to the disk in drive A, type:
diskcopy b: a:
Disk Management
This is a short cut to start up the Disk Management dialog. This dialog can tell if
the disk drive is of type NTSF or FAT.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
DISKMGMT.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
DOSKEY
Calls doskey.exe, which recalls Windows XP commands, edits command lines and creates macros.
doskey {/reinstall | /listsize=size | /macros:[{all | exename}] | /history | /insert
| /overstrike | /exename=exename | /macrofile=FileName | macroname=[text]}
Parameters:
- /reinstall -- Installs a new copy of doskey.exe. Clears the command history buffer.
- /listsize=size -- Specifies the maximum number of commands in the history buffer.
- /macros -- Displays a list of all doskey macros. A redirection symbol (>) can be used
with /macros to redirect the list to a file. /macros can be abbreviated to /m.
- all -- Displays doskey macros for all executables.
- exename -- Displays doskey macros for the specified executable.
- /history -- Displays all commands stored in memory. A redirection symbol (>) can be used
with /history to redirect the list to a file. /history can be abbreviated as /h.
- {/insert | /overstrike} -- Specifies whether new typed text is to replace old text. If
/insert is used, new typed text typed on a line is inserted
into old text (i.e., as if the INSERT key were pressed). If
/overstrike is used, new text replaces old text. The default
setting is /overstrike.
- /exename=exename -- Specifies the program (i.e., executable) in which the doskey macro runs.
- /macrofile=FileName -- Specifies a file containing macros to install.
- macroname=[text] -- Creates a macro that carries out the commands specified by text.
Macroname specifies the name to assign to the macro. Text specifies
the commands to record. If text is left blank, macroname is cleared
of any assigned commands.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using doskey.exe:
=================
doskey.exe is always available for all character-based, interactive programs (such as
program debuggers or file transfer programs), and maintains a command history buffer and
macros for each program that it starts. doskey command-line options cannot be used from a
program. doskey command-line options must be run before starting a program. Program key
assignments override doskey key assignments.
Recalling a command:
====================
To recall a command, use any of the following keys after starting doskey.exe. If doskey.exe
is used within a program, that program's key assignments take precedence.
Key - Description
UP ARROW - Recalls the command sed before the one displayed.
DOWN ARROW - Recalls the command used after the one displayed.
PAGE UP - Recalls the oldest command used in the current session.
PAGE DOWN - Recalls the most recent command used.
Editing the command line:
=========================
With doskey.exe, the current command line can be edited. If doskey.exe is used within a
program, that program's key assignments take precedence and some doskey.exe editing keys
might not work.
The following table lists doskey editing keys and their functions.
Key or key combination - Description
LEFT ARROW - Moves the insertion point back one character.
RIGHT ARROW - Moves the insertion point forward one character.
CTRL+LEFT ARROW - Moves the insertion point back one word.
CTRL+RIGHT ARROW - Moves the insertion point forward one word.
HOME - Moves the insertion point to the beginning of the line.
END - Moves the insertion point to the end of the line.
ESC - Clears the command from the display.
F1 - Copies one character from the same column in the template to the same column in
the Command Prompt window. (The template is a memory buffer that holds the last
command typed.)
F2 - Searches forward in the template for the next key typed after pressing F2.
doskey.exe inserts the text from the template up to, but not including,
the character specified.
F3 - Copies the remainder of the template to the command line. doskey.exe begins
copying characters from the position in the template that corresponds to the
position indicated by the insertion point on the command line.
F4 - Deletes characters from the current insertion point position up to a character
specified. To use this editing key, press F4 and type a character. doskey.exe
deletes the characters from the current insertion point position to the first
letter specified.
F5 - Copies the template into the current command line.
F6 - Places an end-of-file character (i.e., CTRL+Z) at the current insertion point
position.
F7 - Displays all commands for this program stored in memory in a pop-up box. Use
the UP ARROW key and the DOWN ARROW key to select the command wanted, and press
ENTER to run the command. The sequential number noted in front of the command
and use this number in conjunction with the F9 key.
ALT+F7 - Deletes all commands stored in memory for the current history buffer.
F8 - Displays all commands in the history buffer that start with the characters in
the current command.
F9 - Prompts for a history buffer command number, then displays the command
associated with the number specified. Press ENTER to run the command. To
display all the numbers and their associated commands, press F7.
ALT+F10 - Deletes all macro definitions.
Using doskey within a program:
==============================
Certain character-based, interactive programs, such as program debuggers or file
transfer programs (FTP), automatically use doskey.exe. To use doskey.exe, a program
must be a console process and use buffered input. Program key assignments override
doskey key assignments. For example, if the program uses the F7 key for some function,
then a doskey command history cannot be gotten in a pop-up window.
With doskey.exe a command history can be maintained for each program started, repeat
and edit previous commands at the program's prompt, and start doskey macros created
for the program. If exit then restart a program from the same Command Prompt window,
the command history from the previous program session is available.
doskey.exe must be run before starting a program. doskey command-line options cannot
be used from a program's command prompt, even if the program has a shell command.
To customize how doskey.exe works with a program and create doskey macros for that
program, first create a batch program that modifies doskey.exe and starts the program.
Specifying a default insert mode:
=================================
If INSERT key is pressed, then type text on the doskey command line in the middle of
old text without replacing the old text. However, after pressing ENTER, doskey.exe
returns the keyboard to the replace mode. INSERT must be again to return to return to
insert mode.
Use /insert to switch the keyboard to insert mode each time ENTER is pressed. The keyboard
effectively remains in insert mode until /overstrike is used. To temporarily return to
replace mode, press the INSERT key, but after pressing ENTER, doskey.exe returns the
keyboard to insert mode.
The insertion point changes shape when the INSERT key is used to change from one mode to
the other.
Creating a macro:
=================
doskey.exe can be used to create macros that carry out one or more commands. The following
table lists special characters than can be used to control command operations when a macro
is defined.
Character - Description
$G or $g - Redirects output. Use either of these special characters to send output to a
device or a file instead of to the screen. This character is equivalent to the
redirection symbol for output (>).
$G$G or $g$g - Appends output to the end of a file. Use either of these special double
characters to append output to an existing file instead of replacing the
data in the file. These double characters are equivalent to the append
redirection symbol for output (>>).
$L or $l - Redirects input. Use either of these special characters to read input from a
device or a file instead of from the keyboard. This character is equivalent
to the redirection symbol for input (<).
$B or $b - Sends macro output to a command. These special characters are equivalent to
using the pipe (|) on a command line.
$T or $t - Separates commands. Use either of these special characters to separate
commands when creating macros or typing commands on the doskey command line.
These special characters are equivalent to using the ampersand (&) on a command
line.
$$ - Specifies the dollar-sign character ($).
$1 through $9 - Represent any command-line information to specify when running the macro.
The special characters $1 through $9 are batch parameters, which make it
possible to use different data on the command line each time the macro is
run. The $1 character in a doskey command is similar to the %1 character
in a batch program.
$* - Represents all the command-line information to specify when typing the macro name.
The special character $* is a replaceable parameter that is similar to the batch
parameters $1 through $9, with one important difference: everything typed on the
command line after the macro name is substituted for the $* in the macro.
Running a doskey macro:
=======================
To run a macro, type the macro name starting at the first position on the command line. If the
macro was defined with $* or any of the batch parameters $1 through $9, use a white space to
separate parameters. A doskey macro cannot be run from a batch program.
Creating a macro with the same name as a Windows XP command:
============================================================
For a particular command with specific command-line options, a macro can be created that
has the same name as the command. To specify whether to run the macro or the command, follow
these guidelines:
To run the macro, begin typing the macro name immediately after the command prompt, with
no space between the prompt and the command name.
To run the command, insert one or more white spaces between the command prompt and the
command name.
Deleting a macro:
=================
To delete a macro, type:
doskey macroname=
Examples:
The /macros and /history command-line options are useful for creating batch programs to
save macros and commands. For example, to store all current doskey macros, type:
doskey /macros > macinit
To use the macros stored in Macinit, type:
doskey /macrofile=macinit
To create a batch program named Tmp.bat that contains recently used commands, type:
doskey /history > tmp.bat
To define a macro with multiple commands, use $t to separate commands, as follows:
doskey tx=cd temp$tdir/w $*
In the preceding example, the TX macro changes the current directory to Temp and then
displays a directory listing in wide display format. Use $* at the end of the macro to
append other command-line options to dir when running TX.
The following macro uses a batch parameter for a new directory name:
doskey mc=md $1$tcd $1
The macro creates a new directory and then changes to it from the current directory.
To use the preceding macro to create and change to a directory named Books, type:
mc books
To create a doskey macro for a program called Ftp.exe, include /exename as follows:
doskey /exename:ftp.exe go=open 10.127.1.100$tmget *.TXT c:\reports$bye
To use the preceding macro, start ftp. At the ftp prompt, type:
go
Ftp runs the open, mget, and bye commands.
To create a macro that performs a quick and unconditional format of a disk, type:
doskey qf=format $1 /q /u
To format a disk in drive A quickly and unconditionally, type:
qf a:
DRIVERQUERY
Displays a list of all installed device drivers and their properties
driverquery [/s Computer][/u Domain\User /p Password][/fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV}][/nh][/v][/si]
Parameters:
- /s Computer -- Specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer (do not use
backslashes). The default is the local computer.
- /u Domain\User -- Runs the command with the account permissions of the user specified
by User or Domain\User. The default is the permissions of the current
logged on user on the computer issuing the command.
- /p Password -- Specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /u
parameter.
- /fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV} -- Specifies the format to display the driver information. Valid
values are TABLE, LIST, and CSV. The default format for output
is TABLE.
- /nh -- Omits the header row from the displayed driver information. Valid when the /fo
parameter is set to TABLE or CSV.
- /v -- Specifies that detailed driver information be displayed.
- /si -- Displays digital signature information for both signed and unsigned device drivers.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Examples:
- driverquery
- driverquery /fo csv
- driverquery /nh
- driverquery /s ipaddress
- driverquery /s server1 /u hirpln /v driverquery /s server1 /u maindom\hirpln /p p@ssw3d
/fo list
ECHO
Turns the command-echoing feature on or off, or displays a message.
echo [{on|off}] [message]
Parameters:
- {on|off} -- Specifies whether to turn the command-echoing feature on or off.
- message -- Specifies text to display on the screen.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, echo displays the current echo setting.
The echo message command is useful when echo is turned off. To display a message
that is several lines long without displaying other commands, include several
echo message commands after the echo off command in the batch program.
When using echo off, the command prompt does not appear on the screen. To display
the command prompt, type echo on.
To prevent echoing of a line, insert an at sign (@) in front of a command in a
batch program.
To echo a blank line on the screen, type:
echo.
To display a pipe (|) or redirection character (< or >) when using echo, use a
caret character immediately before the pipe or redirection character (for example:
^>, ^<, or ^| ). To echo the caret character (^), type two (^^).
Examples:
The following example is a batch program that includes a three-line message
preceded by and then followed by a blank line:
- echo off
- echo.
- echo This batch program
- echo formats and checks
- echo new disks
- echo.
To turn echo off without echoing the echo command, type an at sign (@) before
the command as follows:
@echo off
The if and echo commands can be used on the same command line. For example:
if exist *.rpt echo The report has arrived
ENDLOCAL
Ends localization of environment changes in a batch file, restoring environment
variables to their values before the matching setlocal command.
Parameters:
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
endlocal can only be used in a script or batch file, endlocal used outside of
a script or batch file has no effect.
There is an implicit endlocal command at the end of a batch file.
Environment changes made after ENDLOCAL has been issued are not local to the
batch file; the previous settings are not restored on termination of the batch file.
With command extensions enabled (i.e. the default), the endlocal command
restores the state of command extensions (i.e. enabled or disabled) to
what it was before the matching setlocal command was executed. For more
information about enabling and disabling command extensions, see cmd in
Related Topics.
If Command Extensions are enabled ENDLOCAL changes as follows:
If the corresponding SETLOCAL enable or disabled command extensions
using the new ENABLEEXTENSIONS or DISABLEEXTENSIONS options, then
after the ENDLOCAL, the enabled/disabled state of command extensions
will be restored to what it was prior to the matching SETLOCAL
command execution.
Examples:
Environment variables in a batch file can be localized. For example:
@echo off
rem This program starts the superapp batch program on the network,
rem directs the output to a file, and displays the file
rem in Notepad.
setlocal
path=g:\programs\superapp;%path%
call superapp>c:\superapp.out
endlocal
start notepad c:\superapp.out
ERASE
Deletes one or more files.
See DEL
Event Viewer
This is a short cut to start up the Event Viewer dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
EVENTVWR and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
EXIT
Exits the current batch script or the Cmd.exe program (i.e., the command interpreter) and
returns to the program that started Cmd.exe or to the Program Manager.
exit [/b] [ExitCode]
Parameters:
- /b -- Exits the current batch script.
- ExitCode -- Specifies a numeric number.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
If /b is used outside of a batch script, it will exit Cmd.exe.
If /b is used, Cmd.exe sets the ERRORLEVEL to the specified ExitCode. If you exit Cmd.exe,
Cmd.exe sets the process exit code with the specified ExitCode.
Windows Explorer
This is a short cut to start up Windows Explorer.
Windows Explorer normally displays the dialog and starts at "My Documents" which it
opens the first level. To select another point where Explorer starts, type in the
following:
explorer.exe /e,
The given path must be a folder immediately in the root folder. The path can be
something such as these examples:
C:\myfolder\pictures
J:\backups
Z:
To have Explorer start at the same folder that the command prompt is already at,
type in (that last character is a period which means "current directory"):
explorer.exe /e, .
To have Explorer start at the folder that is one higher up that the folder that is
the folder that te command prompt is already at, type in (those last two characters
are periods which means "parent directory of the current directory"):
explorer.exe /e, ..
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
EXPLORER and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
FILTERS
Used in conjunction with the command redirection pipe character (|), a command filter
is a command within a command that reads the command's input, transforms the input,
and then writes the output. Filter commands help sort, view, and select parts of
a command output. Filter commands divide, rearrange, or extract portions of the
information that passes through them. The following table lists filter commands that
are available in Windows XP.
The three filters are:
- more -- Displays the contents of a file or the output of a command in one Command
Prompt window at a time.
- find -- Searches through files and command output for the characters specified.
- sort -- Alphabetizes files and command output.
To send input from a file to a filter command, use a less than sign (<). Use a pipe (|)
to get input from another command
more:
=====
Displays the contents of a file or the output of a command in one Command Prompt window
at a time. For example, to display the contents of a file called List.txt in one Command
Prompt window at a time, type:
more < list.txt
One Command Prompt window of information appears, and then the -- More -- prompt appears
at the bottom of the Command Prompt window. To continue to the next Command Prompt window,
press any key on the keyboard except PAUSE. To stop the command without viewing more
information, press CTRL+C.
Use the more command when working with a command that produces more than one Command
Prompt window of output. For example, to view a directory tree on the hard disk. If
there are more directories than can be displayed in the Command Prompt window, use the
tree command with a pipe (|) and the more command as follows:
tree c:\ | more
The first Command Prompt window of output from the tree command appears, followed by
the -- More -- prompt. Output pauses until any key, except PAUSE, is pressed
find:
=====
Searches files for the given string or text. Cmd.exe displays every line that matches
the given string or text in the Command Prompt window. Use the find command either as
a filter command or a standard Windows XP command. For more information about using
find as a standard command, see Find.
To use find as a filter command, include a less than sign (<) then the string or text
to be searched. By default, find searches are case-sensitive. For example, the following
command finds occurrences of the string "Pacific Rim" in the file Trade.txt:
find "Pacific Rim" < trade.txt
The output does not include any occurrences of "pacific rim." It includes occurrences
of the capitalized "Pacific Rim" only.
To save the output of the find command rather than display it in the Command Prompt
window, type a greater than sign (>) and the name of the file in which to store the
output. For example, the following command finds occurrences of "Pacific Rim" in
the Trade.txt file and saves them in Nwtrade.txt:
find "Pacific Rim" < trade.txt > nwtrade.txt
sort:
=====
Alphabetize a text file or the output of a command. For example, the following sorts the
contents of a file named List.txt and displays the results in the Command Prompt window:
sort < list.txt
In this example, the sort command sorts the lines of the List.txt file into an alphabetical
list and displays the results without changing the file. To save the output of the sort
command rather than display it, type a greater than sign (>) and a file name. For example,
the following command alphabetizes the lines of the List.txt file and stores the results
in the Alphlist.txt file:
sort < list.txt > alphlist.txt
To sort the output of a command, type the command, type a pipe (|), and then type sort
(i.e. command | sort). For example, the following command sorts the lines that include
the string "Jones" (i.e. the find command output) in alphabetical order:
find "Jones" maillst.txt | sort
FC
fc [/a] [/b] [/c] [/l] [/lbn] [/n] [/t] [/u] [/w] [/nnnn] [drive1:][path1]filename1
[drive2:][path2]filename2
Parameters:
- /a -- Abbreviates the output of an ASCII comparison. Instead of displaying all of the
lines that are different, fc displays only the first and last line for each set
of differences.
- /b -- Compares the files in binary mode. Fc compares the two files byte by byte and
does not attempt to resynchronize the files after finding a mismatch. This is
the default mode for comparing files that have the following file extensions:
.exe, .com, .sys, .obj, .lib, or .bin.
- /c -- Ignores the case of letters.
- /l -- Compares the files in ASCII mode. Fc compares the two files line by line and
attempts to resynchronize the files after finding a mismatch. This is the
default mode for comparing files, except files with the following file
extensions: .exe, .com, .sys, .obj, .lib, or .bin.
- /lbn -- Sets the n number of lines for the internal line buffer. The default length
of the line buffer is 100 lines. If the files being compared have more than
this number of consecutive differing lines, fc cancels the comparison.
- /n -- Displays the line numbers during an ASCII comparison.
- /t -- Prevents fc from converting tabs to spaces. The default behavior is to treat
tabs as spaces, with stops at each eighth character position.
- /u -- Compares files as Unicode text files.
- /w -- Compresses white space (i.e., tabs and spaces) during the comparison. If a
line contains many consecutive spaces or tabs, /w treats these characters as
a single space. When used with the /w command-line option, fc ignores (and
does not compare) white space at the beginning and end of a line.
- /nnnn -- Specifies the number of consecutive lines that must match before fc
considers the files to be resynchronized. If the number of matching lines
in the files is less than nnnn, fc displays the matching lines as
differences. The default value is 2.
- [drive1:][path1]filename1 -- Specifies the location and name of the first file to
compare. Filename1 is required.
- [drive2:][path2]filename2 -- Specifies the location and name of the second file to
compare. Filename2 is required.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Reporting differences between files for an ASCII comparison
When using fc for an ASCII comparison, fc displays differences between two files in
the following order:
Name of the first file
Lines from filename1 that differ between the files
First line to match in both files
Name of the second file
Lines from filename2 that differ
First line to match
Using /b for binary comparisons:
================================
/b displays mismatches found during a binary comparison as follows:
xxxxxxxx: yy zz
The value of xxxxxxxx specifies the relative hexadecimal address for the pair of bytes,
measured from the beginning of the file. Addresses start at 00000000. The hexadecimal
values for yy and zz represent the mismatched bytes from filename1 and filename2,
respectively.
Using wildcards:
================
Wildcards (i.e., * and ?) can be used in filename1 and filename2. If wildcards are used
in filename1, fc compares all the specified files to the file specified by FileName. If
wildcards are used in filename2, fc uses the corresponding value from filename1.
Working with memory:
====================
When comparing ASCII files, fc uses an internal buffer (large enough to hold 100 lines)
as storage. If the files are larger than the buffer, fc compares what it can load into
the buffer. If fc does not find a match in the loaded portions of the files, it stops
and displays the following message:
Resynch failed. Files are too different.
When comparing binary files that are larger than available memory, fc compares both files
completely, overlaying the portions in memory with the next portions from the disk. The
output is the same as that for files that fit completely in memory.
Examples:
To make an ASCII comparison of two text files that are named Monthly.rpt and Sales.rpt
and display the results in abbreviated format, type:
fc /a monthly.rpt sales.rpt
To make a binary comparison of two batch files named Profits.bat and Earnings.bat, type:
fc /b profits.bat earnings.bat
The results similar to the following appear:
00000002: 72 43
00000004: 65 3A
0000000E: 56 92
00000012: 6D 5C
00000013: 0D 7C
00000014: 0D 0A
00000015: 0A 0D
0000001E: 43 7A
0000001F: 09 0A
00000022: 72 44
...
...
...
000005E0: 00 61
000005E1: 00 73
000005E2: 00 73
000005E3: 00 69
000005E4: 00 67
000005E5: 00 6E
000005E6: 00 6D
000005E7: 00 65
000005E8: 00 6E
FC: Earnings.bat longer than Profits.bat
If the Profits.bat and Earnings.bat files are identical, fc displays the following message:
fc: no differences encountered
To compare every .bat file in the current directory with the file New.bat, type:
fc *.bat new.bat
To compare the file New.bat on drive C with the file New.bat on drive D, type:
fc c:new.bat d:*.bat
To compare each batch file in the root directory on drive C to the file with the same name
in the root directory on drive D, type:
fc c:*.bat d:*.bat
FIND
Searches for a specific string of text in a file or files.
find [/v] [/c] [/n] [/i] "string" [[Drive:][Path]FileName[...]]
Parameters:
- /v -- Displays all lines that do not contain the specified string.
- /c -- Counts the lines that contain the specified string and displays the total.
- /n -- Precedes each line with the file's line number.
- /i -- Specifies that the search is not case-sensitive.
- "string" -- Required. Specifies the group of characters to search for.
The string must be enclosed in quotation marks (i.e., "string").
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the file in which to
search for the specified string.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
After searching the specified file or files, find displays any lines of text that contain
the specified string.
Specifying a string:
====================
If /i is not used, find searches for exactly what is specified for string. For example,
the find command treats the characters "a" and "A" differently. If /i is used, however,
find is not case-sensitive and treats "a" and "A" as the same character.
If the string to search for contains quotation marks, two quotation marks must be used for
each quotation mark contained within the string (i.e., "StringContaining""QuotationMarks").
Using find as a filter:
=======================
If a file name is omitted, find acts as a filter, taking input from the standard input
source (usually the keyboard, a pipe, or a redirected file) and then displaying any lines
that contain string.
Ordering command syntax:
========================
Parameters and command-line options for the find command can be in any order.
Using wildcards:
================
Wildcards (i.e., * and ?) cannot be used in file names or extensions that are specified
with the find command. To search for a string in a set of files that are specified with
wildcards, the find command can be used in a 'for' command.
Using /v or /n with /c:
=======================
If /c and /v are used in the same command line, find displays a count of the lines that
do not contain the specified string. If /c and /n are specified in the same command line,
find ignores /n.
Using find with carriage returns:
=================================
The find command does not recognize carriage returns. When searching for text in a file
that includes carriage returns, the search string must be limited to text that can be
found between carriage returns (i.e., a string that is not likely to be interrupted by
a carriage return). For example, find does not report a match for the string "tax file"
wherever a carriage return occurs between the word "tax" and the word "file."
Examples:
To display all lines from Pencil.ad that contain the string "Pencil Sharpener", type:
find "Pencil Sharpener" pencil.ad
To find a string that contains text within quotation marks, first enclose the entire
string in quotation marks. Second, use two quotation marks for each quotation mark
contained within the string. To find "The scientists labeled their paper "for discussion
only." It is not a final report." in Report.doc, type:
find "The scientists labeled their paper ""for discussion only.""
It is not a final report." report.doc
To search for a set of files, use the find command with the 'for' command. To search the
current directory for files that have the extension .bat and that contain the string "PROMPT,"
type:
for %f in (*.bat) do find "PROMPT" %f
To search the hard disk to find and display the file names on drive C that contain the string
"CPU," use the pipe (|) to direct the results of a dir command to find as follows:
dir c:\ /s /b | find "CPU"
Because find searches are case-sensitive and dir produces uppercase output, either type the
string "CPU" in uppercase letters or use the /i command-line option with find.
FINDSTR
Searches for strings in files.
findstr [/b] [/e] [/l] [/r] [/s] [/i] [/x] [/v] [/n] [/m] [/o] [/p] [/offline] [/g:file]
[/f:file] [/c:string] [/d:dirlist] [/a:ColorAttribute] [strings] [[Drive:][Path]
FileName [...]]
Parameters:
- /b -- Matches the pattern if at the beginning of a line.
- /e -- Matches the pattern if at the end of a line.
- /l -- Uses search strings literally.
- /r -- Uses search strings as regular expressions. Findstr interprets all metacharacters
as regular expressions unless /l is used.
- /s -- Searches for matching files in the current directory and all subdirectories.
- /i -- Specifies that the search is not to be case-sensitive.
- /x -- Prints lines that match exactly.
- /v -- Prints only lines that do not contain a match.
- /n -- Prints the line number before each line that matches.
- /m -- Prints only the file name if a file contains a match.
- /o -- Prints seek offset before each matching line.
- /p -- Skips files with non-printable characters.
- /offline -- Processes files with offline attribute set.
- /f:file -- Reads file list from the specified file.
- /c:string -- Uses specified text as a literal search string.
- /g:file -- Gets search strings from the specified file.
- /d:dirlist -- Searches a comma-delimited list of directories.
- /a:ColorAttribute -- Specifies color attributes with two hexadecimal digits.
- strings -- Specified text to be searched for in FileName.
- [Drive:][Path] FileName [...] -- Specifies a file or files to search.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using regular expressions with findstr
Findstr is capable of finding, in any ASCII files, the exact specified text. However,
sometimes only partial information can be searcheed. In such cases, findstr has the
powerful capability to search for patterns of text using regular expressions.
Regular expressions are a notation for specifying patterns of text, as opposed to exact
strings of characters. The notation uses literal characters and metacharacters. Every
character that does not have special meaning in the regular expression syntax is a
literal character and matches an occurrence of that character. For example, letters and
numbers are literal characters. A metacharacter is a symbol with special meaning (an
operator or delimiter) in the regular-expression syntax.
The following table lists the metacharacters that findstr accepts.
Character - Value
. - Wildcard: any character
* - Repeat: zero or more occurrences of previous character or class
^ - Line position: beginning of line
$ - Line position: end of line
[class] - Character class: any one character in set
[^class] - Inverse class: any one character not in set
[x-y] - Range: any characters within the specified range
\x - Escape: literal use of metacharacter x
\ - Word position: end of word
The special characters in regular expression syntax are most powerful when used together.
For example, the following combination of the wildcard character (.) and repeat (*)
character match any string of characters:
.*
Use the following expression as part of a larger expression that matches any string
beginning with "b" and ending with "ing":
b.*ing
Examples:
Use spaces to separate multiple search strings unless the argument is prefixed with /c.
To search for "hello" or "there" in file x.y, type:
findstr "hello there" x.y
To search for "hello there" in file x.y, type:
findstr /c:"hello there" x.y
To find all occurrences of the word "Windows" (with an initial capital W) in the file
Proposal.txt, type the following:
findstr Windows proposal.txt
To search every file in the current directory and all subdirectories that contained the
word Windows, regardless of the letter case, type the following:
findstr /s /i Windows *.*
To find all occurrences of lines that contain the word "FOR", preceded by any number of
spaces, (as in a computer program loop), and to include the line number where each
occurrence is found, type the following:
findstr /b /n /c:" *FOR" *.bas
To search for several different items in the same set of files, create a text file that
contains each search criterion on a new line. The exact files to search can be specified.
To use the search criteria in the file Finddata.txt, search the files listed in
Filelist.txt, and then store the results in the file Results.out, type the following:
findstr /g:finddata.txt /f:filelist.txt > results.out
To find the word 'computer' in every file in the current directory and all subdirectories,
regardless of the letter case, type the following:
findstr /s /i /m "\" *.*
To find all words that begin with the letters 'comp', such as 'computer' and 'compliment'
and 'compete', type the following:
findstr /s /i /m "\
Firewall Settings
This is a short cut to start up the Firewall Settings dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
FIREWALL.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in
a CMD window.
FOR
Runs a specified command for each file in a set of files.
This can be run either in a batch file or at a command prompt.
for {%variable|%%variable} in (set) do command [ CommandLineOptions]
Parameters:
- {%variable|%%variable} -- Required. Represents a replaceable parameter. Use
%variable to carry out for from the command prompt. Use %%variable to
carry out the for command within a batch file. Variables are case-sensitive
and must be represented with an alpha value, such as %A, %B or %C.
- (set) -- Required. Specifies one or more files, directories, range of values
or text strings to process with the specified command. The parentheses
are required.
- command -- Required. Specifies the command to carry out on each file, directory,
range of values, or text string included in the specified (set).
- CommandLineOptions -- Specifies any command-line options to use with the
specified command.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
To use the FOR command in a batch program, specify %%variable instead of
%variable. Variable names are case sensitive, thus %i is different from %I.
The following attributes apply to the for command:
- The for command replaces %variable or %%variable with each text string in the
specified set until the command processes all of the files.
- For variable names are case-sensitive, global, and no more than 52 total can
be active at any one time.
- To avoid confusion with the batch parameters %0 through %9, use any character
for variable except the numerals 0 through 9. For simple batch files, a single
character such as %%f works.
- Multiple values for variable can be used in complex batch files to distinguish
different replaceable variables.
Specifying a group of files:
============================
The set parameter can represent a single group of files or several groups of
files. Wildcards (* and ?) can be used to specify a file set. The following are
valid file sets:
- (*.doc)
- (*.doc *.txt *.me)
- (jan*.doc jan*.rpt feb*.doc feb*.rpt)
- (ar??1991.* ap??1991.*)
The first value in set replaces %variable or %%variable, and then the specified
command processes this value. This continues until all of the files (or groups
of files) that correspond to the set value are processed.
Using the in and do keywords:
=============================
In and do are not parameters, but they must be used with for. If either words
are omitted, an error message appears.
Using additional forms of for:
==============================
If command extensions are enabled (i.e. the default), the following
additional forms of for are supported:
Directories only:
-----------------
If set contains wildcards (* and ?), the specified command executes for each
directory (instead of a set of files in a specified directory) that matches
set. The syntax is:
for /D {%% | %}variable in (set) do command [CommandLineOptions]
Recursive:
----------
Walks the directory tree rooted at [Drive:]Path, executing the for statement
in each directory of the tree. If no directory is specified after /R, the
current directory is assumed. If set is just a single period (.), it only
enumerates the directory tree. The syntax is:
for /R [[Drive :]Path] {%% | %}variable in (set)
do command [CommandLineOptions]
Iterating a range of values:
----------------------------
Use an iterative variable to set the starting value (start#) and then step
through a set range of values until the value exceeds the set ending value
(end#). /L will execute the iterative by comparing start# with end#. If
start# is less than end# the command will execute. When the iterative
variable exceeds end# the command shell exists the loop. A negative step# can
be used to step through a range in decreasing values. For example, (1,1,5)
generates the sequence 1 2 3 4 5 and (5,-1,1) generates the sequence
(5 4 3 2 1). The syntax is:
for /L {%% | %}variable in (start#,step#,end#)
do command [CommandLineOptions]
Iterating and file parsing:
---------------------------
Use file parsing to process command output, strings and file content. Use
iterative variables to define the content or strings to examine and use
the various ParsingKeywords options to further modify the parsing. Use the
ParsingKeywords token option to specify which tokens should be passed as
iterator variables. Note that when used without the token option, /F will
only examine the first token.
File parsing consists of reading the output, string or file content, breaking
it up into individual lines of text and then parsing each line into zero or
more tokens. The for loop is then called with the iterator variable value set
to the token. By default, /F passes the first blank separated token from each
line of each file. Blank lines are skipped. The different syntaxes are:
for /F ["ParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in (filenameset)
do command [CommandLineOptions]
for /F ["ParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in ("LiteralString")
do command [CommandLineOptions]
for /F ["ParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in ('command')
do command [CommandLineOptions]
The filenameset argument specifies one or more file names. Each file is opened,
read and processed before going on to the next file in filenameset. To override
the default parsing behavior, specify "ParsingKeywords". This is a quoted string
that contains one or more keywords to specify different parsing options.
When using the usebackq option, use one of the following syntaxes:
for /F ["usebackqParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in ("filenameset")
do command [CommandLineOptions]
for /F ["usebackqParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in ('LiteralString')
do command [CommandLineOptions]
for /F ["usebackqParsingKeywords"] {%% | %}variable in (`command`)
do command [CommandLineOptions]
The following table lists the parsing keywords for ParsingKeywords
- Keyword - Description
- eol=c - Specifies an end of line character (just one character).
- skip=n - Specifies the number of lines to skip at the beginning of the file.
- delims=xxx - Specifies a delimiter set. This replaces the default delimiter
set of space and tab.
- tokens=x,y,m-n - Specifies which tokens from each line are to be passed to
the for body for each iteration. As a result, additional
variable names are allocated. The m-n form is a range,
specifying the mth through the nth tokens. If the last
character in the tokens= string is an asterisk (*), an
additional variable is allocated and receives the remaining
text on the line after the last token that is parsed.
- usebackq - Specifies that quotation marks can be used to quote file names
in filenameset, a back quoted string is executed as a command,
and a single quoted string is a literal string command.
An example:
-----------
FOR /F "eol=; tokens=2,3* delims=, " %i in (myfile.txt) do @echo %i %j %k
This would parse each line in myfile.txt, ignoring lines that begin with
a semicolon, passing the 2nd and 3rd token from each line to the for
body, with tokens delimited by commas and/or spaces. Notice the for
body statements reference %i to get the 2nd token, %j to get the
third token, and %k to get all remaining tokens after the third. For
file names that contain spaces, quote the file names with double
quotes. In order to use double quotes in this manner, use the usebackq
option, otherwise the double quotes will be interpreted as defining a
literal string to parse.
%i is explicitly declared in the for statement and the %j and %k
are implicitly declared via the tokens= option. Up to 26 tokens can
be used via the tokens= line, provided it does not cause an
attempt to declare a variable higher than the letter 'z' or 'Z'.
Remember, FOR variables are single-letter, case sensitive, global,
with a maximum of 52 total active variables at any one time.
Also available is the FOR /F parsing logic on an immediate string, by
making the file nameset between the parenthesis a quoted string,
using single quote characters. It will be treated as a single line
of input from a file and parsed.
Finally, the FOR /F command to parse the output of a command is
available. Make the file nameset between the parenthesis a back
quoted string. It will be treated as a command line, which is
passed to a child CMD.EXE and the output is captured into memory
and parsed as if it was a file. So the following example:
FOR /F "usebackq delims==" %i IN (`set`) DO @echo %i
would enumerate the environment variable names in the current
environment.
Variable substitution:
----------------------
Substitution modifiers for for variable references have been enhanced. The
following table lists optional syntax (for any variable I).
Variable with modifier - Description
%~I - Expands %I which removes any surrounding quotation marks ("").
%~fI - Expands %I to a fully qualified path name.
%~dI - Expands %I to a drive letter only.
%~pI - Expands %I to a path only.
%~nI - Expands %I to a file name only.
%~xI - Expands %I to a file extension only.
%~sI - Expands path to contain short names only.
%~aI - Expands %I to the file attributes of file.
%~tI - Expands %I to the date and time of file.
%~zI - Expands %I to the size of file.
%~$PATH:I - Searches the directories listed in the PATH environment
variable and expands %I to the fully qualified name of the first one
found. If the environment variable name is not defined or the file is
not found by the search, this modifier expands to the empty string.
The following table lists modifier combinations to get compound results.
Variable with combined modifiers - Description
%~dpI - Expands %I to a drive letter and path only.
%~nxI - Expands %I to a file name and extension only.
%~fsI - Expands %I to a full path name with short names only.
%~dp$PATH:I - Searches the directories listed in the PATH environment
variable for %I and expands to the drive letter and path of the first
one found.
%~ftzaI - Expands %I to an output line that is like dir.
In the above examples, optionally replace %I and PATH by other valid
values. A valid for variable name terminates the %~ syntax.
By using uppercase variable names such as %I, the code is more readable and avoids
confusion with the modifiers, which are not case-sensitive.
Parsing a string:
-----------------
Use the for /F parsing logic on an immediate string by wrapping the filenameset
between the parentheses in single quotation marks (i.e. 'filenameset').
Filenameset is treated as a single line of input from a file, and then it is parsed.
Parsing output:
---------------
/F can be used to parse the output of a command by making the filenameset between
the parenthesis a back quoted string. It is treated as a command line, which is
passed to a child Cmd.exe and the output is captured into memory and parsed as
if it were a file.
Examples:
To use for in a batch file, use the following syntax:
for %%variable in (set) do command [CommandLineOptions]
To display the contents of all the files in the current directory that have the
extension .doc or .txt using the replaceable variable %f, type:
for %f in (*.doc *.txt) do type %f
In the preceding example, each file that has the .doc or .txt extension in the
current directory is substituted for the %f variable until the contents of every
file are displayed. To use this command in a batch file, replace every occurrence
of %f with %%f. Otherwise, the variable is ignored and an error message is displayed.
To parse a file, ignoring commented lines, type:
for /F "eol=; tokens=2,3* delims=," %i in (myfile.txt) do @echo %i %j %k
This command parses each line in Myfile.txt, ignoring lines that begin with a semicolon
and passing the second and third token from each line to the FOR body (tokens are
delimited by commas or spaces). The body of the FOR statement references %i to get the
second token, %j to get the third token, and %k to get all of the remaining tokens.
If the file names contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text (for example,
"File Name"). To use quotation marks, use usebackq. Otherwise, the quotation marks are
interpreted as defining a literal string to parse.
%i is explicitly declared in the FOR statement, and %j and %k are implicitly
declared by using tokens=. Up to 26 tokens using tokens= can be used, provided that
it does not cause an attempt to declare a variable higher than the letter 'z' or 'Z'.
To parse the output of a command by placing filenameset between the parentheses, type:
for /F "usebackq delims==" %i IN (`set`) DO @echo %i
This example enumerates the environment variable names in the current environment.
FORMAT
Formats a disk for use with Windows XP.
format volume [/fs:file-system] [/v:label] [/q] [/a:UnitSize] [/c] [/x]
format volume [/v:label] [/q] [/f:size]
format volume [/v:label] [/q] [/t:tracks /n:sectors]
format volume [/v:label] [/q]
format volume [/q]
Parameters:
- volume -- Specifies the mount point, volume name, or drive letter of the drive to format.
If no command-line options are given, format uses the volume type to determine
the default format for the disk.
- /fs:file-system -- Specifies the file system to use FAT, FAT32, or NTFS Floppy disks can
use only the FAT file system.
- /v:label -- Specifies the volume label. If /v command-line option is omitted or it is
used without specifying a volume label, format prompts for the volume label
after the formatting is completed. Use the syntax /v: to prevent the prompt
for a volume label. If more than one disk is formatted by using one format
command, all of the disks will be given the same volume label. For more
information about disk volume labels, click Dir, Label, and Vol in the Related
Topics list.
- /a:UnitSize -- Specifies the allocation unit size to use on FAT, FAT32, or NTFS volumes.
If UnitSize is not specified, it is chosen based on volume size. The
following table lists valid values for UnitSize.
Value - Description
512 - Creates 512 bytes per cluster.
1024 - Creates 1024 bytes per cluster.
2048 - Creates 2048 bytes per cluster.
4096 - Creates 4096 bytes per cluster.
8192 - Creates 8192 bytes per cluster.
16K - Creates 16 kilobytes per cluster.
32K - Creates 32 kilobytes per cluster.
64K - Creates 64 kilobytes per cluster.
- /f:size -- Specifies the size of the floppy disk to format. When possible, use this
command-line option instead of the /t and /n command-line options. Windows
accepts the following value for size:
1440 or 1440k or 1440kb or 1.44 or 1.44m or 1.44mb
1.44-MB, double-sided, quadruple-density, 3.5-inch disk
- /q -- Performs a quick format. Deletes the file table and the root directory of a
previously formatted volume but does not perform a sector by sector scan for bad
areas. The /q command-line option should be used to format only previously
formatted volumes that are known to be in good condition.
- /t:tracks -- Specifies the number of tracks on the disk. When possible, use the /f
command-line option instead of this command-line option. If the /t
command-line option is used, the /n command-line option must also be used.
These two command-line options provide an alternative method of specifying
the size of the disk being formatted. The /f command-line option cannot be
used with the /t command-line option.
- /n:sectors -- Specifies the number of sectors per track. When possible, use the /f
command-line option instead of this command-line option. If the /n
command-line option is used, the /t command-line option must also be used.
These two command-line options provide an alternative method of
specifying the size of the disk being formatted. The /f command-line
option cannot be used with the /n command-line option.
- /c -- NTFS only. Files created on the new volume will be compressed by default.
- /x -- Causes the volume to dismount, if necessary, before it is formatted. Any open
handles to the volume will no longer be valid.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using format at the Recovery Console:
=====================================
The format command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Administrative privileges:
==========================
Only a member of the Administrators group can format a hard drive.
Using format :
=============
The format command creates a new root directory and file system for the disk. It can also
check for bad areas on the disk, and it can delete all data on the disk. To be able to use
a new disk, this command must first be used to format the disk.
Typing a volume label:
======================
After formatting a floppy disk, format displays the following message:
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
The volume label can be a maximum of 11 characters (including spaces). If no volume label
is desired, just press ENTER. For information about volume labels, click label in the
Related Topics list.
Formatting a hard disk
=======================
When formatting a hard disk, format displays a message of the following form before
attempting to format the hard disk:
WARNING, ALL DATA ON nonremovable DISK
DRIVE x: WILL BE LOST!
Proceed with Format (Y/N)?_
To format the hard disk, press Y. To not format the hard disk, press N. Administrator
rights are required to format a hard disk.
Unit size:
==========
FAT file systems restrict the number of clusters to no more than 65526. FAT32 file
systems restrict the number of clusters to between 65527 and 4177917.
NTFS compression is not supported for allocation unit sizes above 4096.
Format messages:
================
When formatting is complete, format displays messages showing the total disk space,
any space marked as defective, and the space available for the files.
Quick formatting:
=================
The formatting process can be sped up by using the /q command-line option. Use this
command-line option only if there are no bad sectors on the hard disk.
Using format with a reassigned drive or a network drive:
========================================================
The format command should not be used on a drive prepared by using the subst command.
Disks cannot be formatted over a network.
Format exit codes:
==================
The following table lists each exit code and a brief description of its meaning.
Exit code - Description
0 - The format operation was successful.
1 - Incorrect parameters were supplied.
4 - A fatal error occurred (any error other than 0, 1, or 5).
5 - The user pressed N in response to the prompt "Proceed with Format (Y/N)?" to stop
the process.
These exit codes can be checked by using the errorlevel condition with the if batch command.
Examples:
To format a new floppy disk in drive A using the default size, type:
format a:
To perform a quick format operation on a previously formatted disk in drive A, type:
format a: /q
To format a floppy disk in drive A and assign it the volume label "DATA," type:
format a: /v:DATA
Shared Folder
This is a short cut to start up the Shared Folder dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
DSMGMT.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
FTP
Transfers files to and from a computer running a File Transfer Protocol (FTP) server service
such as Internet Information Services.
ftp [-v] [-d] [-i] [-n] [-g] [-s:FileName] [-a] [-w:WindowSize] [-A] [Host]
Parameters:
- -v -- Suppresses the display of FTP server responses.
- -d -- Enables debugging, displaying all commands passed between the FTP client and FTP
server.
- -i -- Disables interactive prompting during multiple file transfers.
- -n -- Suppresses the ability to log on automatically when the initial connection is made.
- -g -- Disables file name globbing. Glob permits the use of the asterisk (*) and question
mark (?) as wildcard characters in local file and path names. For more information,
see Ftp: Glob
- -s:FileName -- Specifies a text file that contains ftp commands. These commands run
automatically after ftp starts. This parameter allows no spaces. Use this
parameter instead of redirection (<).
- -a -- Specifies that any local interface can be used when binding the FTP data connection.
- -w:WindowSize -- Specifies the size of the transfer buffer. The default window size is
4096 bytes.
- -A -- Logs onto the FTP server as anonymous.
- Host -- Specifies the computer name, IP address, or IPv6 address of the FTP server to
which to connect. The host name or address, if specified, must be the last
parameter on the line.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Ftp can be used interactively or in batch mode by processing ASCII text files.
ftp parameters MUST be prefixed with a hyphen (-) rather than a slash (/).
Ftp command-line parameters are case-sensitive.
This command is available only if the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol is installed as
a component in the properties of a network adapter in Network Connections
Ftp can be used interactively. After it is started, ftp creates a subenvironment in which
ftp commands can be used. To return to the command prompt, type the quit command. When the
ftp subenvironment is running, it is indicated by the ftp > command prompt.
For more information about ftp subcommands, see Related Topics.
Ftp supports the use of IPv6 when the IPv6 protocol is installed. For more information,
see IP version 6 and IPv6 applications
Examples:
To log on to the FTP server named ftp.example.microsoft.com, type the following command:
ftp ftp.example.microsoft.com
To anonymously log on to the FTP server named ftp.example.microsoft.com, type the following
command:
ftp -A ftp.example.microsoft.com
To log on to the FTP server named ftp.example.microsoft.com and run the ftp commands contained
in a file named Resynch.txt, type the following command:
ftp -s:resynch.txt ftp.example.microsoft.com
FTYPE
Displays or modifies file types used in file name extension associations.
Ftype [FileType[=[OpenCommandString]]]
Parameters:
- FileType -- Specifies the file type to display or change.
- OpenCommandString -- Specifies the open command to use when opening files of this type.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, ftype displays the file types that have open command strings defined.
Within an OpenCommandString, ftype substitutes the following variables:
- %0 or %1 are replaced with the file name to open.
- %* is replaced with all of the parameters.
- %~n is replaced with all of the remaining parameters, starting with the nth parameter,
where n can be any number from 2 to 9.
- %2 is replaced with the first parameter, %3 with the second, and so on.
Examples:
To display the current file types that have open command strings defined, type:
ftype
To display the current open command string for a specific file type, type:
ftype FileType
To delete the open command string for a specific file type, type:
ftype FileType=
Type:
ASSOC .pl=PerlScript
FTYPE PerlScript=perl.exe %1 %*
To invoke the Perl script, then type:
script.pl 1 2 3
To eliminate the need to type the extensions, type:
set PATHEXT=.pl;%PATHEXT%
To invoke the Perl script, type:
script 1 2 3
GETMAC
This is a short cut to display the mac address(es) of your network adapter(s).
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
GETMAC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
GOTO
Within a batch program, directs Windows XP to a line identified by a label.
goto label
Parameters:
- label -- Specifies the line in a batch program to go to.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
When the label is found, it processes the commands that begin on the next line.
Working with command extensions:
================================
If command extensions are enabled (i.e., the default) and the goto command is specified with a target label of :EOF, control is transfered to the end of the current batch script file and exit the batch script file without defining a label. When goto with the :EOF label is used, a colon must be inserted before the label. For example:
goto :EOF
For a description of extensions to the call command that make this feature useful, see cmd in Related Topics.
Using valid label values:
=========================
The label parameter can have spaces but no other separators (ex. semicolons or equal signs). The goto command uses only the first eight characters of a label. For example, the following labels are equivalent and resolve to :hithere0:
:hithere0
:hithere01
:hithere02
Matching label with the label in the batch program:
===================================================
The label value specified must match a label in the batch program. The label within the batch program must begin with a colon (:). Windows XP recognizes a batch program line beginning with a colon (:) as a label and does not process it as a command. If a line begins with a colon, any commands on that line are ignored. If the batch program does not contain the label specified, the batch program stops and displays the following message:
Label not found
Using goto for conditional operations:
======================================
goto can be used with other commands to perform conditional operations. For more information about using goto for conditional operations, see if in Related Topics.
Examples:
The following batch program formats a disk in drive A as a system disk. If the operation is successful, the goto command directs Windows XP to the :end label:
echo off
format a: /s
if not errorlevel 1 goto end
echo An error occurred during formatting.
:end
GRAFTABL
Enables the ability to display an extended character set in graphics mode.
graftabl [xxx] [/status]
Parameters:
- xxx -- Specifies the code page for which the appearance of extended characters in
graphics mode is to be defined. The following table lists each valid code
page identification number and its Country/Region or language.
Value - Country/Region
437 - United States
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic (Latin II)
855 - Cyrillic (Russian)
857 - Turkish
860 - Portuguese
861 - Icelandic
863 - Canadian-French
865 - Nordic
866 - Russian
869 - Modern Greek
- /status -- Identifies the code page that graftabl is using.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
For information about using code pages, see chcp or mode (set device code pages) in
Related Topics.
Graftabl does not change the console input code page. Graftabl affects only the monitor
display of extended characters of the code page specified. To change the code page being
used, use the mode or chcp command.
Understanding graftabl exit codes:
==================================
The following table lists each exit code and a brief description of it.
Exit code - Description
0 - Character set was loaded successfully. No previous code page was loaded.
1 - An incorrect parameter was specified. No action was taken.
2 - A file error occurred.
The errorlevel parameter can be used on the if command line in a batch program to process
exit codes returned by graftabl.
Examples:
To load the graphics character set for code page 437 (United States) into memory, type:
graftabl 437
To load the graphics character set for code page 850 (multilingual) into memory, type:
graftabl 850
HELP
Provides help information for Windows XP commands.
HELP [command]
Parameters:
command - displays help information on that command.
IF
Performs conditional processing in batch programs.
if [not] errorlevel number command [else expression]
if [not] string1==string2 command [else expression]
if [not] exist FileName command [else expression]
If command extensions are enabled, use the following syntax:
if [/i] string1 CompareOp string2 command [else expression]
if cmdextversion number command [else expression]
if defined variable command [else expression]
Parameters:
- NOT -- Specifies that the command should be carried out only if the condition is false.
- ERRORLEVEL number -- Specifies a true condition only if the previous program run by
Cmd.exe returned an exit code equal to or greater than number.
- command -- Specifies the command that should be carried out if the preceding condition
is met.
- string1==string2 -- Specifies a true condition only if string1 and string2 are the same.
These values can be literal strings or batch variables (for example,
%1). Quotation marks around literal strings are not needed.
- EXIST FileName -- Specifies a true condition if FileName exists.
- CompareOp -- Specifies a three-letter comparison operator. The following table lists
valid values for CompareOp.
Operator - Description
EQU - equal to
NEQ - not equal to
LSS - less than
LEQ - less than or equal to
GTR - greater than
GEQ - greater than or equal to
- /i -- Forces string comparisons to ignore case. Use /i on the string1==string2 form of if.
These comparisons are generic, in that if both string1 and string2 are both comprised
of all numeric digits, the strings are converted to numbers and a numeric comparison
is performed.
- cmdextversion number -- Specifies a true condition only if the internal version number
associated with the Command Extensions feature of Cmd.exe is equal
to or greater than number. The first version is 1. It is
incremented by one when significant enhancements are added to the
command extensions. The cmdextversion conditional is never true
when command extensions are disabled (by default, command extensions
are enabled).
- defined variable -- Specifies a true condition if variable is defined.
- expression -- Specifies a command-line command and any parameters to be passed to the
command in an else clause.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
If the condition specified in an if command is true, the command that follows the condition is
carried out. If the condition is false, the command in the if clause is ignored, and executes
any command in the else clause, if one has been specified.
When a program stops, it returns an exit code. Use exit codes as conditions by using the
errorlevel parameter.
Using defined variable:
=======================
If a defined variable is used, the following three variables are added:
%errorlevel%, %cmdcmdline%, and %cmdextversion%.
%errorlevel% expands into a string representation of the current value of errorlevel, provided
that there is not already an environment variable with the name ERRORLEVEL, in which case the
ERRORLEVEL value is gotten instead. The following example illustrates how to use errorlevel
after running a batch program:
goto answer%errorlevel%
:answer0
echo Program had return code 0
:answer1
echo Program had return code 1
goto end
:end
echo done!
The CompareOp comparison operators cn be used as follows:
if %errorlevel% LEQ 1 goto okay
%cmdcmdline% expands into the original command line passed to Cmd.exe prior to any processing
by Cmd.exe, provided that there is not already an environment variable with the name
cmdcmdline, in which case the cmdcmdline value is goten instead.
%cmdextversion% expands into the a string representation of the current value of cmdextversion,
provided that there is not already an environment variable with the name CMDEXTVERSION, in
which case the CMDEXTVERSION value is gotten instead.
Using the else clause:
======================
The else clause must be used on the same line as the command after the if. For example:
IF EXIST filename. (
del filename.
) ELSE (
echo filename. missing.
)
The following code does not work because the del command must be terminated by a new line:
IF EXIST filename. del filename. ELSE echo filename. missing
The following code does not work because the else clause must be used on the same line as the
end of the if command:
IF EXIST filename. del filename.
ELSE echo filename. missing
To format it all on a single line, use the following form of the original statement:
IF EXIST filename. (del filename.) ELSE echo filename. missing
Examples:
If the file Product.dat cannot be found, the following message appears:
if not exist product.dat echo Can't find data file
If an error occurs during the formatting of the disk in drive A, the following example
displays an error message:
:begin
@echo off
format a: /s
if not errorlevel 1 goto end
echo An error occurred during formatting.
:end
echo End of batch program.
If no error occurs, the error message does not appear.
The if command cannot be ysed to test directly for a directory, but the null (NUL) device
does exist in every directory. As a result, it is possible to test for the null device to
determine whether a directory exists. The following example tests for the existence of a
directory:
if exist c:\mydir\nul goto process
Internet Explorer Options
This is a short cut to start up the INTERNET OPTIONS portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
INETCPL.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Internet Explorer
These are the short cut keys available in Internet Explorer.
- ALT + ARROW LEFT
- Go back to the previous page (if there is one in the History list)
- ALT + ARROW RIGHT
- Go forward to the next page (if there is one in the History list)
- ALT + HOME
- Go to the Home page (as selected in the Internet Options, not the home page of the current web site)
- BACKSPACE
- Go back to the previous page (if there is one in the History list)
- CTRL + A
- Select all text/graphics on the current page
- CTRL + C
- Copy selected items to the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + D
- Open the Add to Favorites dialog for the current web page
- CTRL + E
- Open the Search bar
- CTRL + ENTER
- Adds the http://www. (url) .com
- CTRL + F
- Start a Find/Search for text on the current page
- CTRL + H
- Open the History bar
- CTRL + I
- Open the Favorites bar
- CTRL + N
- Open a new window
- CTRL + O
- Open the Open a new Webpage dialog to go to another URL
- CTRL + P
- Print the current web page or active frame
- CTRL + S
- Save the current web page
- CTRL + TAB
- Move forward between frames
- CTRL + V
- Insert contents of the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + W
- Close the browser window in focus
- END
- Move to the end of a document
- ENTER
- Activate a selected link
- ESC
- Stop downloading a web page
- F1
- Display Internet Explorer Help
- F4
- Display list of typed addresses
- F5
- Refresh the current page
- F6
- Toggle focus between the Address bar (and highlight the entire URL text) and the web page
- F11
- Toggle full-screen view
- HOME
- Move to the beginning of a document
- SHIFT + CLICK
- Open link in new window
- SHIFT + CTRL + TAB
- Move back between frames
- SHIFT + F10
- Open the context menu for the current web page (then use the up/down arrows to navigate the menu)
- SHIFT + TAB
- Move back through the items on a web page
- TAB
- Move forward through items on a web page
Regional Settings
This is a short cut to start up the REGIONAL Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
INTL.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
IPCONFIG
Displays all current TCP/IP network configuration values and refreshes Dynamic Host
Configuration Protocol (DHCP) and Domain Name System (DNS) settings. Used without parameters,
ipconfig displays the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway for all adapters.
ipconfig [/all] [/renew [Adapter]] [/release [Adapter]] [/flushdns] [/displaydns]
[/registerdns] [/showclassid Adapter] [/setclassid Adapter [ClassID]]
Parameters:
- /all -- Displays the full TCP/IP configuration for all adapters. Without this parameter,
ipconfig displays only the IP address, subnet mask, and default gateway values
for each adapter. Adapters can represent physical interfaces, such as installed
network adapters, or logical interfaces, such as dial-up connections.
- /renew [Adapter] -- Renews DHCP configuration for all adapters (if an adapter is not
specified) or for a specific adapter if the Adapter parameter is
included. This parameter is available only on computers with adapters
that are configured to obtain an IP address automatically. To specify
an adapter name, type the adapter name that appears when using
ipconfig without parameters.
- /release [Adapter] -- Sends a DHCPRELEASE message to the DHCP server to release the current
DHCP configuration and discard the IP address configuration for
either all adapters (if an adapter is not specified) or for a
specific adapter if the Adapter parameter is included. This parameter
disables TCP/IP for adapters configured to obtain an IP address
automatically. To specify an adapter name, type the adapter name that
appears when using ipconfig without parameters.
- /flushdns -- Flushes and resets the contents of the DNS client resolver cache. During DNS
troubleshooting, this procedure can be used to discard negative cache entries
from the cache, as well as any other entries that have been added dynamically.
- /displaydns -- Displays the contents of the DNS client resolver cache, which includes both
entries preloaded from the local Hosts file and any recently obtained
resource records for name queries resolved by the computer. The DNS Client
service uses this information to resolve frequently queried names quickly,
before querying its configured DNS servers.
- /registerdns -- Initiates manual dynamic registration for the DNS names and IP addresses
that are configured at a computer. This parameter can be used to
troubleshoot a failed DNS name registration or resolve a dynamic update
problem between a client and the DNS server without rebooting the client
computer. The DNS settings in the advanced properties of the TCP/IP
protocol determine which names are registered in DNS.
- /showclassid Adapter -- Displays the DHCP class ID for a specified adapter. To see the
DHCP class ID for all adapters, use the asterisk (*) wildcard
character in place of Adapter. This parameter is available only
on computers with adapters that are configured to obtain an IP
address automatically.
- /setclassid Adapter [ClassID] -- Configures the DHCP class ID for a specified adapter.
To set the DHCP class ID for all adapters, use the
asterisk (*) wildcard character in place of Adapter.
This parameter is available only on computers with
adapters that are configured to obtain an IP address
automatically. If a DHCP class ID is not specified,
the current class ID is removed.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The ipconfig command is the command-line equivalent to the winipcfg command, which is
available in Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 98, and Windows 95. Although Windows XP
does not include a graphical equivalent to the winipcfg command, Network Connections can
be used to view and renew an IP address. To do this, open Network Connections, right-click
a network connection, click Status, and then click the Support tab.
This command is most useful on computers that are configured to obtain an IP address
automatically. This enables users to determine which TCP/IP configuration values have been
configured by DHCP, Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA), or an alternate configuration.
If the Adapter name contains any spaces, use quotation marks around the adapter name
(i.e., "Adapter Name").
For adapter names, ipconfig supports the use of the asterisk (*) wildcard character to
specify either adapters with names that begin with a specified string or adapters with
names that contain a specified string. For example, Local* matches all adapters that start
with the string Local and *Con* matches all adapters that contain the string Con.
This command is available only if the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol is installed as
a component in the properties of a network adapter in Network Connections
Examples:
To display the basic TCP/IP configuration for all adapters, type:
ipconfig
To display the full TCP/IP configuration for all adapters, type:
ipconfig /all
To renew a DHCP-assigned IP address configuration for only the Local Area Connection adapter,
type:
ipconfig /renew "Local Area Connection"
To flush the DNS resolver cache when troubleshooting DNS name resolution problems, type:
ipconfig /flushdns
To display the DHCP class ID for all adapters with names that start with Local, type:
ipconfig /showclassid Local*
To set the DHCP class ID for the Local Area Connection adapter to TEST, type:
ipconfig /setclassid "Local Area Connection" TEST
Joystick Settings
This is a short cut to start up the JOYSTICK Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
JOY.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Keyboard Settings
This is a short cut to start up the KEYBOARD Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
'MAIN.CPL KEYBOARD' and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
LABEL
Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label (i.e., the name) of a disk.
label [Drive:][label]
label [/MP][volume][label]
Parameters:
- Drive: -- Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon) of the disk to name.
- label -- Specifies the name for the volume.
- /MP -- Specifies that the volume should be treated as a mount point or volume name.
- volume -- Specifies the drive letter (followed by a colon), mount point, or volume name.
If a volume name is specified, the /MP parameter is unnecessary.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, label changes the current volume label or deletes the existing label.
Windows displays the volume label as part of the directory listing. If a volume serial number
exists, Windows displays this number as well.
Label command messages
=======================
If a label is not specified, label displays a message in the following format:
Volume in drive A is xxxxxxxxxxx
Volume Serial Number is xxxx-xxxx
Volume label (11 characters, ENTER for none)?
The "Volume Serial Number" part of the message is not displayed if the disk has no serial
number.
The volume label can be typed or just press ENTER to delete the current label. If a disk has
a label and ENTER is pressed for none, label prompts with the following message:
Delete current volume label (Y/N)?
Press Y to delete the label; press N to keep the label.
Limitations on volume label names
==================================
A volume label can contain as many as 32 characters for NTFS volumes and as many as 11
characters for FAT volumes and can include spaces but no tabs.
FAT volume labels cannot contain any of the following characters:
* ? / \ | . , ; -- + = [ ] < > "
This limitation does not apply to NTFS volumes.
For FAT volumes, volume labels are stored as uppercase regardless of whether they contain
lowercase letters. NTFS volume labels retain and display the case used when the label was
created.
Examples:
To label a disk in drive A that contains sales information for July, type:
label a:sales-july
Mouse Settings
This is a short cut to start up the MOUSE Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
MAIN.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
MD
Creates a directory.
mkdir [Drive:]Path
md [Drive:]Path
Parameters:
- Drive: -- Specifies the drive on which to create the new directory.
- Path -- Required. Specifies the name and location of the new directory.
The maximum length of any single path is determined by the file system.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
When command extensions are enabled (i.e. the default), a single md command can
be used to create intermediate directories in a specified path. For more
information about enabling and disabling command extensions, see cmd in
Related Topics.
Examples:
To create a directory named Taxes with a subdirectory named Property, which
contains a subdirectory named Current, type:
md \Taxes\Property\Current
This is the same as typing the following sequence of commands with command
extensions disabled:
md \Taxes
cd \Taxes
md Property
cd Property
md Current
MKDIR
Creates a directory.
See MD
MODE
Displays system status, changes system settings, or reconfigures ports or devices.
To configure a serial communications port
mode comm[:] [baud=b] [parity=p] [data=d] [stop=s] [to={on|off}] [xon={on|off}]
[odsr={on|off}] [octs={on|off}] [dtr={on|off|hs}] [rts={on|off|hs|tg}]
[idsr={on|off}]
Parameters:
- comm[:] -- Specifies the number of the asynchronous-communications (COM) port.
- baud=b -- Specifies the transmission rate in bits per second. The following table
lists valid abbreviations for b and its related rate.
Value - Rate
11 - 110 baud
15 - 150 baud
30 - 300 baud
60 - 600 baud
12 - 1200 baud
24 - 2400 baud
48 - 4800 baud
96 - 9600 baud
19 - 19,200 baud
- parity=p -- Specifies how the system uses the parity bit to check for transmission
errors. The following table lists valid p values. The default value is e.
Not all computers support the values m and s.
Value - Description
n - none
e - even
o - odd
m - mark
s - space
- data=d -- Specifies the number of data bits in a character. Valid values for d are in
the range 5 through 8. The default value is 7. Not all computers support the
values 5 and 6.
- stop=s -- Specifies the number of stop bits that define the end of a character: 1, 1.5,
or 2. If the baud rate is 110, the default value is 2. Otherwise, the default
value is 1. Not all computers support the value 1.5.
- to={on|off} -- Specifies whether infinite time-out processing is on or off. The default
is off.
- xon={on|off} -- Specifies whether the xon or xoff protocol for data-flow control is on
or off.
- odsr={on|off} -- Specifies whether output handshaking that uses the Data Set Ready (DSR)
circuit is on or off.
- octs={on|off} -- Specifies whether output handshaking that uses the Clear To Send (CTS)
circuit is on or off.
- dtr={on|off|hs} -- Specifies whether the Data Terminal Ready (DTR) circuit is on or off,
or set to handshake.
- rts={on|off|hs|tg} -- Specifies whether the Request To Send (RTS) circuit is set to on,
off, handshake, or toggle.
- idsr={on|off} -- Specifies whether the DSR circuit sensitivity is on or off.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
To display the status of all devices or of a single device
Syntax:
mode [device] [/status]
Parameters:
- device -- Specifies the name of the device to display the status.
- /status -- Requests the status of any redirected parallel printers. The /status
command-line option can be abbreviated as /sta.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, mode displays all the controllable attributes of the console and
the available COM devices. Because mode can be used to perform many different tasks, the
syntax needs to be used to carry out each task is different. Click the task that to
perform.
To redirect output from a parallel port to a serial communications port
Syntax:
mode lptn[:]=comm[:]
Parameters:
- lptn -- Required. Specifies the parallel port. Valid values for n are in the range 1
through 3.
- comm [:] -- Required. Specifies the serial port. Valid values for m are in the range
1 through 4.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Redirect printing can only be done by a member of the Administrators group.
Examples:
To set up te system so that it sends parallel-printer output to a serial printer, the
mode command must be used twice. The first time, use mode to configure the serial port.
The second time, use mode to redirect parallel-printer output to the serial port specified
in the first mode command.
For example, if the serial printer operates at 4800 baud with even parity and is connected
to the COM1 port (the first serial connection on the computer), type:
mode com1 48,e,,,b
mode lpt1=com1
If parallel-printer output is redirected from LPT1 to COM1 but then decide to print a file
by using LPT1, type the following command before printing the file:
mode lpt1
This command prevents the redirection the file from LPT1 to COM1.
To select, refresh, or display the numbers of the code pages for the console
Syntax:
mode device codepage select=yyy
mode device codepage [/status]
Parameters:
- device -- Required. Specifies the device to select a code page. CON is the only valid name
for a device.
- codepage select= -- Required. Specifies which code page to use with the specified device.
codepage can be abbreviated and select as cp and sel, respectively.
- yyy -- Required. Specifies the number of the code page to select. The following table lists
each code page supported and its Country/Region or language.
Value - Country/Region
437 - United States
850 - Multilingual (Latin I)
852 - Slavic (Latin II)
855 - Cyrillic (Russian)
857 - Turkish
860 - Portuguese
861 - Icelandic
863 - Canadian-French
865 - Nordic
866 - Russian
869 - Modern Greek
- codepage -- Required. Displays the numbers of the code pages, if any, that are selected for
the specified device.
- /status -- Displays the numbers of the current code pages selected for the specified device.
/status can be abbreviated to /sta. Whether or not /status is specified, mode
codepage displays the numbers of the code pages that are selected for the
specified device.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
To change the size of the command prompt screen buffer
Syntax:
mode con[:] [cols=c] [lines=n]
Parameters:
- con[:] -- Required. Indicates that the change is to the command prompt window.
- cols=c -- Specifies the number of characters (columns) wide in the command prompt screen
buffer.
- lines=n -- Specifies the number of lines deep in the command prompt screen buffer.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
To set the keyboard typematic rate
Syntax:
mode con[:] [rate=r delay=d]
Parameters:
- con[:] -- Required. Refers to the keyboard.
- rate=r -- Specifies the rate at which a character is repeated on the screen when a key is
held down.
- delay=d -- Specifies the amount of time that must elapse, after pressing and hold down a
key, before the character output starts to repeat.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The typematic rate is the rate at which a character repeats when the key is held down for
that character. The typematic rate has two components, the rate and the delay. Some
keyboards do not recognize this command.
Using rate=r
Valid values are in the range 1 through 32. These values are equal to approximately 2 to
30 characters per second, respectively. The default value is 20 for IBM AT-compatible
keyboards, and 21 for IBM PS/2-compatible keyboards. If the rate is set, the delay must
also be set.
Using delay=d
Valid values for d are 1, 2, 3, and 4 (representing 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1 second,
respectively). The default value is 2. If the rate is set, the delay must also be set.
Modem Settings
This is a short cut to start up the MODDEM Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
'CONTROL MODEM' and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
MORE
Displays output one screen at a time.
command | more [/c] [/p] [/s] [/tn] [+n]
more [[/c] [/p] [/s] [/tn] [+n]] < [Drive:] [Path] FileName
more [/c] [/p] [/s] [/tn] [+n] [files]
Parameters:
- [Drive:] [Path] FileName -- Specifies the file to display.
- command -- Specifies a command to display the output.
- /c -- Clears screen before displaying page.
- /p -- Expands form-feed characters.
- /s -- Changes multiple blank lines to one blank line.
- /tn -- Changes tabs to the number of spaces specified by n.
- +n -- Displays first file beginning at the line specified by n.
- files -- Specifies list of files to display. Separate file names with a space.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using more at the Recovery Console:
===================================
The more command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Using more subcommands:
=======================
The following commands are accepted at the more prompt (-- More --).
Key - Action
SPACEBAR - Display next page
ENTER - Display next line
f - Display next file
q - Quit
? - Show available commands
= - Show line number
p n - Display next n lines
s n - Skip next n lines
Sources of data:
================
When using the redirection character (<), a file name must be specified as the source.
When using the pipe (|), such commands as dir, sort, and type can be used.
Examples:
To view the file named Clients.new on the screen, type either of the following two commands:
more < clients.new
type clients.new | more
The more command displays the first screen of information from Clients.new, and then the
following prompt appears:
-- More --
Press the SPACEBAR to see the next screen of information.
To clear the screen and remove all extra blank lines before displaying the file Clients.new,
type either of the following two commands:
more /c /s < clients.new
type clients.new | more /c /s
The more command displays the first screen of information from Clients.new, and then the
following prompt appears:
-- More --
To display the file one line at a time, press ENTER.
To display the next page, press the SPACEBAR.
To display the next file listed on the command line, type f.
To quit more, type q.
Add commands to the more prompt as shown in this example:
-- More [Options: psfq=] --
To display the current line number, type =. The current line number is added to the more
prompt as shown in this example:
-- More [Line: 24] --
To display a specific number of lines, type p. More prompts for the number of lines to
display as follows:
-- More -- Lines:
Type the number of lines to display and press ENTER. More displays the specified number
of lines.
To skip a specific number of lines, type s. More prompts for the number of lines to skip
as follows:
-- More -- Lines:
Type the number of lines to skip, and then press ENTER. More skips the specified number of
lines and displays the next screen of information.
MOVE
Moves one or more files from one directory to the specified directory.
move [{/y|/-y}] [Source] [target]
Parameters:
- /y -- Suppresses prompting to confirm to overwrite an existing destination file.
- /-y -- Causes prompting to confirm to overwrite an existing destination file.
- Source -- Specifies the path and name of the file or files to move. If moving or
renaming a directory, Source should be the current directory path and name.
- target -- Specifies the path and name to move files to. To move or rename a
directory, the target should be the desired directory path and name.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using the /y command-line option:
=================================
The /y command-line option might be preset in the COPYCMD environment variable.
This can be overridden this with /-y on the command line. The default is to
prompt on overwrites unless the copy command is being executed from within a
batch script.
Moving encrypted files:
=======================
Moving encrypted files to a volume that does not support Encrypting File System
(EFS) results in an error. Decrypt the files first or move the files to a volume
that does support EFS.
Examples:
To move all files with the .xls extension from the \Data directory to the
\Second_Q\Reports directory, type the following:
move \data\*.xls \second_q\reports\
MSG
Send a message to a user
MSG {username | sessionname | sessionid | @filename | *}
[/SERVER:servername] [/TIME:seconds] [/V] [/W] [message]
Parameters:
- username Identifies the specified username.
- sessionname The name of the session.
- sessionid The ID of the session.
- @filename Identifies a file containing a list of usernames,
sessionnames, and sessionids to send the message to.
- * Send message to all sessions on specified server.
- /SERVER:servername server to contact (default is current).
- /TIME:seconds Time delay to wait for receiver to acknowledge msg.
- /V Display information about actions being performed.
- /W Wait for response from user, useful with /V.
- message Message to send. If none specified, prompts for it
or reads from stdin.
Examples:
- To send the message entitled Let's meet at 1PM today to all sessions for
user MIKES, type:
msg MIKES Let's meet at 1PM today
- To send the same message to session MODEM02, type:
msg modem02 Let's meet at 1PM today
- To send the message to session 12, type:
msg 12 Let's meet at 1PM today
- To send the message to all sessions contained in the file USERLIST, type:
msg @userlist Let's meet at 1PM today
- To send the message to all users who are logged on, type:
msg * Let's meet at 1PM today
- To send the message to all users, with an acknowledgment time-out
(for example, 10 seconds), type:
msg * /TIME:10 Let's meet at 1PM today
MSCONFIG
System configuration
This includes such things as programs run at STARTUP and Services which
can be unchecked to remove them from this active list.
MSCONFIG
MSTSC
Connect to a remote PC
mstsc [/v:server[:port]] [/w:pixels] [h:pixels] [/prompt] [/admin] [/?]
Parameters:
/v:server:port -- specify the server, and optionally the port, which to connect to
/admin -- connect to the session as an administrator
/prompt -- go through the credentials logon before allowing the connection
/f -- make the connection window be in full screen mode
/W:pixels -- specify how many pixels wide to make the connection window
/h:pixels -- specify how many pixels high to make the connection window
/span -- make the connection window span across multiple monitors
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
MSTSC allows connection to a remote PC/server as if sitting in front of that PC/server
NOTE: there are several other options for this command such as /public and /multimon
and /shadow and /control and/noConsentPrompt and "connection file" but would probably
rarely be used thus are not documented here. To see more, type in: mstsc /?
Examples:
To start up the GUI to connect to a remote PC, type:
mstsc
To connect to the PC by name and require a logon, type:
mstsc /v:\\ABC00123456W7 /prompt
NBTSTAT
Displays NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) protocol statistics, NetBIOS name tables for both the local computer and remote computers, and the NetBIOS name cache.
nbtstat [-a RemoteName] [-A IPAddress] [-c] [-n] [-r] [-R] [-RR] [-s] [-S] [Interval]
Parameters:
-a RemoteName -- Displays the NetBIOS name table of a remote computer, where RemoteName
is the NetBIOS computer name of the remote computer. The NetBIOS name
table is the list of NetBIOS names that corresponds to NetBIOS applications
running on that computer.
-A IPAddress -- Displays the NetBIOS name table of a remote computer, specified by the IP
address (in dotted decimal notation) of the remote computer.
-c -- Displays the contents of the NetBIOS name cache, the table of NetBIOS names and their
resolved IP addresses.
-n -- Displays the NetBIOS name table of the local computer. The status of Registered
indicates that the name is registered either by broadcast or with a WINS server.
-r -- Displays NetBIOS name resolution statistics. On a Windows XP computer that is
configured to use WINS, this parameter returns the number of names that have been
resolved and registered using broadcast and WINS.
-R -- Purges the contents of the NetBIOS name cache and then reloads the #PRE-tagged
entries from the Lmhosts file.
-RR -- Releases and then refreshes NetBIOS names for the local computer that is registered
with WINS servers.
-s -- Displays NetBIOS client and server sessions, attempting to convert the destination IP
address to a name.
-S -- Displays NetBIOS client and server sessions, listing the remote computers by destination
IP address only.
Interval -- Redisplays selected statistics, pausing the number of seconds specified in
Interval between each display. Press CTRL+C to stop redisplaying statistics. If
this parameter is omitted, nbtstat prints the current configuration information
only once.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Nbtstat allows a refresh of the NetBIOS name cache and the names registered with Windows
Internet Name Service (WINS).
Used without parameters, nbtstat displays help.
Nbtstat command-line parameters are case-sensitive.
The following table describes the column headings that are generated by nbtstat.
Heading - Description
Input - The number of bytes received.
Output - The number of bytes sent.
In/Out - Whether the connection is from the computer (outbound) or from another computer
to the local computer (inbound).
Life - The remaining time that a name table cache entry will live before it is purged.
Local Name - The local NetBIOS name associated with the connection.
Remote Host - The name or IP address associated with the remote computer.
<03> - The last byte of a NetBIOS name converted to hexadecimal. Each NetBIOS name is 16
characters long. This last byte often has special significance because the same name
might be present several times on a computer, differing only in the last byte. For
example, <20> is a space in ASCII text.
Type - The type of name. A name can either be a unique name or a group name.
Status - Whether the NetBIOS service on the remote computer is running (Registered) or a
duplicate computer name has registered the same service (Conflict).
State - The state of NetBIOS connections.
The following table describes the possible NetBIOS connection states.
State - Description
Connected - A session has been established.
Associated - A connection endpoint has been created and associated with an IP address.
Listening - This endpoint is available for an inbound connection.
Idle - This endpoint has been opened but cannot receive connections.
Connecting - A session is in the connecting phase and the name-to-IP address mapping
of the destination is being resolved.
Accepting - An inbound session is currently being accepted and will be connected shortly.
Reconnecting - A session is trying to reconnect (it failed to connect on the first attempt).
Outbound - A session is in the connecting phase and the TCP connection is currently being
created.
Inbound - An inbound session is in the connecting phase.
Disconnecting - A session is in the process of disconnecting.
Disconnected - The local computer has issued a disconnect and it is waiting for
confirmation from the remote system.
This command is available only if the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol is installed as a
component in the properties of a network adapter in Network Connections
Examples:
To display the NetBIOS name table of the remote computer with the NetBIOS computer name of
CORP07, type:
nbtstat -a CORP07
To display the NetBIOS name table of the remote computer assigned the IP address of
10.0.0.99, type:
nbtstat -A 10.0.0.99
To display the NetBIOS name table of the local computer, type:
nbtstat -n
To display the contents of the local computer NetBIOS name cache, type:
nbtstat -c
To purge the NetBIOS name cache and reload the #PRE-tagged entries in the local Lmhosts
file, type:
nbtstat -R
To release the NetBIOS names registered with the WINS server and re-register them, type:
nbtstat -RR
To display NetBIOS session statistics by IP address every five seconds, type:
nbtstat -S 5
NET
Network Services
NET [service]
Parameters:
- [service] -- Name of the network service
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
- [service] /? -- Displays help at the command prompt for a specified service.
Remarks:
The services available are:
- Net accounts -- Updates the user accounts database and modifies password and logon requirements for all accounts.
- Net computer -- Adds or deletes computers from a domain database.
- Net config -- Displays the configurable services that are running, or displays and changes settings for a Server service or a Workstation service. Used without parameters, net config displays a list of configurable services.
- Net continue -- Continues a service that has been suspended by net pause.
- Net file -- Displays/closes the names of all open shared files on a server and the number of file locks, if any, on each file.
- Net group -- Adds, displays, or modifies global groups in domains.
- Net help x -- Provides a list of network commands and topics for which you can get help, or provides information about a specific command.
- Net helpmsg -- Explains why an error occurred and provides problem-solving information.
- Net localgroup -- Adds, displays, or modifies local groups. Used without parameters, net localgroup displays the name of the server and the names of local groups on the computer.
- Net name -- Adds or deletes a messaging name (that is, an alias), or displays the list of names for which the computer can accept messages.
- Net pause -- Pauses services that are currently running.
- Net print -- Displays information about a specified print queue, displays information about all print queues hosted by a specified print server, displays information about a specified print job, or controls a specified print job.
- Net send -- Sends messages to other users, computers, or messaging names on the network.
- Net session -- Manages server computer connections. Used without parameters, net session displays information about all sessions with the local computer.
- Net share -- Manages shared resources. Used without parameters, net share displays information about all of the resources that are shared on the local computer.
- Net start -- Starts a service. Used without parameters, net start displays a list of services that are currently operating.
- Net statistics -- Displays the statistics log for the local Workstation or Server service, or the running services for which statistics are available.
- Net stop -- Stops a running service.
- Net time -- Synchronizes the computer's clock with that of another computer or domain.
- Net use -- Connects a computer to or disconnects a computer from a shared resource, or displays information about computer connections. The command also controls persistent net connections.
- Net user -- Adds or modifies user accounts or displays user account information.
- Net view -- Displays a list of domains, computers, or resources that are being shared by the specified computer.
NETSTAT
Displays active TCP connections, ports on which the computer is listening, Ethernet statistics,
the IP routing table, IPv4 statistics (for the IP, ICMP, TCP, and UDP protocols), and IPv6
statistics (for the IPv6, ICMPv6, TCP over IPv6, and UDP over IPv6 protocols).
netstat [-a] [-e] [-n] [-o] [-p Protocol] [-r] [-s] [Interval]
Parameters:
- -a -- Displays all active TCP connections and the TCP and UDP ports on which the computer
is listening.
- -e -- Displays Ethernet statistics, such as the number of bytes and packets sent and
received. This parameter can be combined with -s.
- -n -- Displays active TCP connections, however, addresses and port numbers are expressed
numerically and no attempt is made to determine names.
- -o -- Displays active TCP connections and includes the process ID (PID) for each connection.
The application based on the PID can be found on the Processes tab in Windows Task
Manager. This parameter can be combined with -a, -n, and -p.
- -p Protocol -- Shows connections for the protocol specified by Protocol. In this case, the
Protocol can be tcp, udp, tcpv6, or udpv6. If this parameter is used with
-s to display statistics by protocol, Protocol can be tcp, udp, icmp, ip,
tcpv6, udpv6, icmpv6, or ipv6.
- -s -- Displays statistics by protocol. By default, statistics are shown for the TCP, UDP,
ICMP, and IP protocols. If the IPv6 protocol for Windows XP is installed, statistics
are shown for the TCP over IPv6, UDP over IPv6, ICMPv6, and IPv6 protocols. The -p
parameter can be used to specify a set of protocols.
- -r -- Displays the contents of the IP routing table. This is equivalent to the route print
command.
- Interval -- Redisplays the selected information every Interval seconds. Press CTRL+C to
stop the redisplay. If this parameter is omitted, netstat prints the selected
information only once.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, netstat displays active TCP connections.
Parameters used with this command must be prefixed with a hyphen (-) rather than a slash (/).
Netstat provides statistics for the following:
Proto - The name of the protocol (TCP or UDP).
Local Address - The IP address of the local computer and the port number being used. The
name of the local computer that corresponds to the IP address and the
name of the port is shown unless the -n parameter is specified. If the
port is not yet established, the port number is shown as an asterisk (*).
Foreign Address - The IP address and port number of the remote computer to which the
socket is connected. The names that corresponds to the IP address and
the port are shown unless the -n parameter is specified. If the port
is not yet established, the port number is shown as an asterisk (*).
(state) - Indicates the state of a TCP connection. The possible states are as follows:
-- CLOSE_WAIT
-- CLOSED
-- ESTABLISHED
-- FIN_WAIT_1
-- FIN_WAIT_2
-- LAST_ACK
-- LISTEN
-- SYN_RECEIVED
-- SYN_SEND
-- TIMED_WAIT
For more information about the states of a TCP connection, see RFC 793.
This command is available only if the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol is installed as a
component in the properties of a network adapter in Network Connections
Examples:
To display both the Ethernet statistics and the statistics for all protocols, type the
following command:
netstat -e -s
To display the statistics for only the TCP and UDP protocols, type the following command:
netstat -s -p tcp udp
To display active TCP connections and the process IDs every 5 seconds, type the following
command:
netstat -o 5
To display active TCP connections and the process IDs using numerical form, type the
following command:
netstat -n -o
Notepad Text Editor
This is a short cut to start up the Notepad text editor. This simple editor is
useful for viewing and modifying files whose contents is made up only of the
ASCII characters found on a typical keyboard. No formatting (e.g. bold, font
size, tables, etc.) can be done within Notepad.
When NOTEPAD is started, an optional file name can be given.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
NOTEPAD and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Removable Storage Manager
This is a short cut to start up the Removable Storage Manager dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
NTMSMGMT.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
ODBCAD32
This is a short cut to start up the ODBC Data Source Administrator dialog
portion of the Control Panel. ODBC is where databases are configured so that
they are accessible in applications.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
ODBCAD32 and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
MS-Paint Graphics Editor
This is a short cut to start up the MS-Paint graphics editor. This simple editor is
useful for viewing and modifying files whose contents are basically a graphic image.
When MSPAINT is started, an optional file name can be given.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
MSPAINT and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
PATH
Sets the command path in the PATH environment variable, which is the set of directories used to
search for executable files.
path [[%path%] [Drive:]Path [;...]]
Parameters:
- [Drive:]Path -- Specifies the drive and directory to set in the command path.
- ; -- Separates directories in the command path.
- %path% -- Specifies Windows XP to append the command path to the existing set of
directories listed in the PATH environment variable.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, path displays the current command path.
Using ;:
========
When used as the only parameter, ; deletes the existing command path value found in the PATH
variable.
Using %path%:
=============
When %path% is included in the syntax, Cmd.exe replaces it with the command path value found
in the PATH variable, eliminating the need to manually enter these values at the command
line. For more information about substituting environment variable values, see Command shell
overview in Related Topics.
Current directory
The operating system always searches in the current directory first, before it searches the
directories in the command path.
Files with the same name, different extensions:
===============================================
Some files might be in the same directory that share the same file name but have different
extensions. For example, there might have a file named Accnt.com that starts an accounting
program and another file named Accnt.bat that connects the system to the accounting system
network.
The operating system searches for a file by using default file name extensions in the
following order of precedence: .exe, .com, .bat, and .cmd. To run Accnt.bat when Accnt.com
exists in the same directory, the .bat extension must be given on the command line.
Two or more identical file names in the path"
=============================================
If there are two or more files in the command path that have the same file name and extension,
Windows XP searches for the specified file name first in the current directory, and then it
searches the directories in the command path in the order in which they are listed in PATH.
Searching the MS-DOS subsystem:
===============================
If the path command is placed in the Autoexec.nt file, it automatically appends the specified
MS-DOS subsystem search path to the Windows XP search path at every log on to the computer.
Cmd.exe does not use the Autoexec.nt file. When started from a shortcut, Cmd.exe inherits the
environment variables set in My Computer/Properties/Advanced/Environment.
Examples:
The following command specifies that Windows XP is to search three directories to find external
commands. The three paths for these directories are C:\User\Taxes, B:\User\Invest, and B:\Bin:
path c:\user\taxes;b:\user\invest;b:\bin
PAUSE
Suspends processing of a batch program and displays a message prompting the user
to press any key to continue.
pause
Parameters:
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
When run the prompt command, the following message appears:
Press any key to continue . . .
If CTRL+C is pressed to stop a batch program, the following message appears:
Terminate batch job (Y/N)?
If press Y (for yes) in response to this message, the batch program ends and control
returns to the operating system. Therefore, the pause command can be inserted before
a section of the batch file that may not want to be processed. While pause suspends
processing of the batch program, pressing CTRL+C and then Y to stop the batch program.
Examples:
To create a batch program that prompts the user to change disks in one of the drives,
type:
@echo off
:begin
copy a:*.*
echo Please put a new disk into drive A
pause
goto begin
In this example, all the files on the disk in drive A are copied to the current directory.
After the displayed comment prompts to place another disk in drive A, the pause command
suspends processing so that disks can be changed and then press any key to resume processing.
This particular batch program runs in an endless loop. The goto BEGIN command sends the
command interpreter to the begin label of the batch file. To stop this batch program,
press CTRL+C and then Y.
PERFMON
Open a Windows XP Performance console configured with settings files from Windows NT 4.0
version of Performance Monitor.
perfmon.exe [file_name] [/HTMLFILE:converted_file settings_file]
Parameters:
- .exe -- Specifies the name of the file extension.
- file_name -- Specifies the name of the settings file.
- /HTMLFILE:converted_file settings_file -- Specifies the name of the converted files, and the
name of the original Windows NT 4.0 settings file.
Remarks:
This procedure works for the following types of Windows NT 4.0 version of Performance Monitor
settings files: chart (.pmc), report (.pmr), alert (.pma), and log (.pml).
To display the Windows NT 4.0 settings file in System Monitor, the system temporarily converts
the file for use with Windows XP System Monitor, then discards the converted version after the
console starts. To save the settings file for permanent use with System Monitor, type:
Perfmon [file_name] [/HTMLFILE:converted_file settings_file]
Where /HTMLFILE:converted_file is the name given to the converted file and settings_file is the
name of the original Windows NT 4.0 settings file.
For more information about incorporating Perfmon into the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI)
scripts, see Scripting Logs and Monitoring at the Microsoft Windows Resource Kits Web site.
Examples:
To list the settings file, type:
Perfmon myfile_overview
To list converted and original file names, type:
Perfmon myfile_overview /Commands:newfile_review oldfile_sample.pml
PING
Verifies IP-level connectivity to another TCP/IP computer by sending Internet Control
Message Protocol (ICMP) Echo Request messages.
ping [-t] [-a] [-n Count] [-l Size] [-f] [-i TTL] [-v TOS] [-r Count] [-s Count]
[{-j HostList | -k HostList}] [-w Timeout] [TargetName]
Parameters:
- -t -- Specifies that ping continue sending Echo Request messages to the destination
until interrupted. To interrupt and display statistics, press CTRL-BREAK. To
interrupt and quit ping, press CTRL-C.
- -a -- Specifies that reverse name resolution is performed on the destination IP
address. If this is successful, ping displays the corresponding host name.
- -n Count -- Specifies the number of Echo Request messages sent. The default is 4.
- -l Size -- Specifies the length, in bytes, of the Data field in the Echo Request
messages sent. The default is 32. The maximum size is 65,527.
- -f -- Specifies that Echo Request messages are sent with the Don't Fragment flag in
the IP header set to 1. The Echo Request message cannot be fragmented by
routers in the path to the destination. This parameter is useful for
troubleshooting path Maximum Transmission Unit (PMTU) problems.
- -i TTL -- Specifies the value of the TTL field in the IP header for Echo Request
messages sent. The default is the default TTL value for the host. For
Windows XP hosts, this is typically 128. The maximum TTL is 255.
- -v TOS -- Specifies the value of the Type of Service (TOS) field in the IP header for
Echo Request messages sent. The default is 0. TOS is specified as a decimal
value from 0 to 255.
- -r Count -- Specifies that the Record Route option in the IP header is used to record the
path taken by the Echo Request message and corresponding Echo Reply message.
Each hop in the path uses an entry in the Record Route option. If possible,
specify a Count that is equal to or greater than the number of hops between
the source and destination. The Count must be a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 9.
- -s Count -- Specifies that the Internet Timestamp option in the IP header is used to record
the time of arrival for the Echo Request message and corresponding Echo Reply
message for each hop. The Count must be a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 4.
- -j HostList -- Specifies that the Echo Request messages use the Loose Source Route option in
the IP header with the set of intermediate destinations specified in HostList.
With loose source routing, successive intermediate destinations can be
separated by one or multiple routers. The maximum number of addresses or names
in the host list is 9. The host list is a series of IP addresses (in dotted
decimal notation) separated by spaces.
- -k HostList -- Specifies that the Echo Request messages use the Strict Source Route option in
the IP header with the set of intermediate destinations specified in HostList.
With strict source routing, the next intermediate destination must be directly
reachable (it must be a neighbor on an interface of the router). The maximum
number of addresses or names in the host list is 9. The host list is a series
of IP addresses (in dotted decimal notation) separated by spaces.
- -w Timeout -- Specifies the amount of time, in milliseconds, to wait for the Echo Reply
message that corresponds to a given Echo Request message to be received. If the
Echo Reply message is not received within the time-out, the "Request timed out"
error message is displayed. The default time-out is 4000 (4 seconds).
- TargetName -- Specifies the destination, which is identified either by IP address or host
name.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The receipt of corresponding Echo Reply messages are displayed, along with round-trip times.
Ping is the primary TCP/IP command used to troubleshoot connectivity, reachability, and name
resolution. Used without parameters, ping displays help.
ping can be used to test both the computer name and the IP address of the computer. If
pinging the IP address is successful, but pinging the computer name is not, there might be a
name resolution problem. In this case, ensure that the specified computer name can be resolved
through the local Hosts file, by using Domain Name System (DNS) queries, or through NetBIOS
name resolution techniques.
This command is available only if the Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) protocol is installed as
a component in the properties of a network adapter in Network Connections
Examples:
The following example shows ping command output:
C:\>ping example.microsoft.com
Pinging example.microsoft.com [192.168.239.132] with 32 bytes of data:
Reply from 192.168.239.132: bytes=32 time=101ms TTL=124
Reply from 192.168.239.132: bytes=32 time=100ms TTL=124
Reply from 192.168.239.132: bytes=32 time=120ms TTL=124
Reply from 192.168.239.132: bytes=32 time=120ms TTL=124
To ping the destination 10.0.99.221 and resolve 10.0.99.221 to its host name, type:
ping -a 10.0.99.221
To ping the destination 10.0.99.221 with 10 Echo Request messages, each of which has a Data
field of 1000 bytes, type:
ping -n 10 -l 1000 10.0.99.221
To ping the destination 10.0.99.221 and record the route for 4 hops, type:
ping -r 4 10.0.99.221
To ping the destination 10.0.99.221 and specify the loose source route of
10.12.0.1-10.29.3.1-10.1.44.1, type:
ping -j 10.12.0.1 10.29.3.1 10.1.44.1 10.0.99.221
POPD
Changes the current directory to the directory stored by the pushd command.
popd
Parameters:
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Every time the pushd command is used, a single directory is stored for later use. However,
storing multiple directories is done by using the pushd command multiple times.
The directories are stored sequentially in a virtual stack. If the pushd command is used
once, the directory in which the command was specified is placed at the bottom of the stack.
If the command is used again, the second directory is placed on top of the first one. The
process repeats every time the pushd command is used.
The popd command is used to change the current directory to the directory most recently
stored by the pushd command. If the popd command is used, the directory on the top of the
stack is removed from the stack as the current directory is changed to that directory. If
the popd command is used again, the next directory on the stack is removed.
When command extensions are enabled, the popd command removes any drive-letter assignations
created by pushd.
Examples:
pushd and popd can be used in a batch program to change the current directory from the one
in which the batch program was run and then change it back. The following sample batch
program shows how to do this:
@echo off
rem This batch file deletes all .txt files in a specified directory
pushd %1
del *.txt
popd
cls
echo All text files
Power Settings
This is a short cut to start up the POWER Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
POWERCFG.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
PRINT
Sends a text file to a printer.
print [/d:Printer] [Drive:][Path] FileName [ ...]
Parameters:
- /d:Printer -- Specifies the printer on which to print the file. A local printer can be
specified by specifying the port on the computer to which the printer is
connected. Valid values for parallel ports are LPT1, LPT2, and LPT3.
Valid values for serial ports are COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4. A network
printer can be specified by its queue name (\\ServerName\ShareName).
If a printer is not specified, the print job is sent to LPT1.
- Drive: -- Specifies the logical or physical drive on which the file to print is
located. This parameter is not required if the file is located on the
current drive.
- Path -- Specifies where, on the drive, the file to print is located. This parameter
is not required if the file to print is located in the current directory.
- FileName [...] -- Required. Specifies, by name, the file to print. Multiple files
can be include in one command.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A file can print in the background if it is sent to a printer connected to a serial or
parallel port on the local computer.
Many programs have their own print commands. The print command should be used for a
program to print files created with that program.
Many configuration tasks can be performed from the command line by using the mode command.
For more information about configuring a printer connected to a parallel port, configuring
a printer connected to a serial port, displaying the status of a printer, or preparing a
printer for code page switching, see mode in Related Topics.
Examples:
To send the file Report.txt in the current directory to a printer connected to LPT2 on
the local computer, type:
print /d:LPT2 report.txt
To send the file Report.txt in the c:\Accounting directory to the Printer1 print queue
on the \\CopyRoom server, type:
print /d:\\copyroom\printer1 c:\accounting\report.txt
Printers/Faxes Settings
This is a short cut to start up the PRINTERS/FAXES Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
'CONTROL PRINTERS' and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
PROMPT
Changes the Cmd.exe prompt.
prompt [text]
Parameters:
- text : Specifies any text and information to include in the system prompt.
- /? : Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, prompt resets the command prompt to the default setting, the
current drive letter followed by the current directory and a greater-than symbol (>).
The command prompt can be customized to display any text desired, including such
information as the name of the current directory, the time and date, and the Windows
XP version number.
The following table lists the character combinations that can be included instead of,
or in addition to, one or more character strings in the text command-line option. The
list includes a brief description of the text or information that each character
combination adds to the command prompt.
Character - Description
$q - = (equal sign)
$$ - $ (dollar sign)
$t - Current time
$d - Current date
$p - Current drive and path
$v - Windows XP version number
$n - Current drive
$g - > (greater-than sign)
$l - < (less-than sign)
$b - | (pipe)
$_ - ENTER-LINEFEED
$e - ANSI escape code (code 27)
$h - Backspace (to delete a character that has been written to the prompt command line)
$a - & (ampersand)
$c - ( (left parenthesis)
$f - ) (right parenthesis)
$s - space
When command extensions are enabled (i.e., the default) the prompt command supports the
formatting characters listed in the following table.
Character - Description
$+ - Zero or more plus sign (+) characters depending upon the depth of the pushd
directory stack, one character for each level pushed.
$m - The remote name associated with the current drive letter or the empty string
if current drive is not a network drive.
If the $p character is included in the text parameter, the disk is read, after entering
each command, to determine the current drive and path. This can take extra time,
especially for floppy disk drives.
Examples:
The following example sets the command prompt to display the current drive and path
followed by the greater-than symbol (>):
prompt $p$g
The following command displays a two-line prompt in which the current time appears on
the first line and the current date appears on the second line:
prompt time is: $t$_date is: $d
PUSHD
Stores the name of the current directory for use by the popd command before changing the
current directory to the specified directory.
pushd [Path]
Parameters:
Path -- Specifies the directory to which the current directory should be changed. This
command supports relative paths.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Every time the pushd command is used, a single directory is stored for later use. However,
storing multiple directories is done by using the pushd command multiple times.
The directories are stored sequentially in a virtual stack. If the pushd command is used
once, the directory in which from which the command was specified is placed at the bottom
of the stack. If the command is used again, the second directory is placed on top of the
first one. The process repeats every time the pushd command is used.
The popd command can be used to change the current directory to the directory most recently
stored by the pushd command. If the popd command is used, the directory on the top of the
stack is removed from the stack as the current directory is changed to that directory. If
the popd command is used again, the next directory on the stack is removed.
If command extensions are enabled, the pushd command accepts either a network path or a local
drive letter and path.
If a network path is specified, the pushd command temporarily assigns the first unused drive
letter (starting with Z:) to the specified network resource. The command then changes the
current drive and directory to the specified directory on the newly assigned drive. If the
popd command is used with command extensions enabled, the popd command removes the
drive-letter assignation created by pushd.
Examples:
The pushd command and the popd command can be used in a batch program to change the current
directory from the one in which the batch program was run and then change it back. The
following sample batch program shows how to do this:
@echo off
rem This batch file deletes all .txt files in a specified directory
pushd %1
del *.txt
popd
cls
echo All text files deleted in the %1 directory
RASDIAL
Automate starting a network connection using a specific entry
Automate the connection process for any Microsoft client by using a simple batch file and the
rasdial command. The rasdial command starts a network connection by using a specified entry.
rasdial connectionname [username [password | *]] [/domain:domain] [/phone:phonenumber]
[/callback:callbacknumber] [/phonebook:phonebookpath] [/prefixsuffix]
The rasdial command disconnects a network connection by using the following syntax:
rasdial [connectionname] /disconnect
Parameters:
- None -- Used without options, rasdial displays the status of current connections.
- connectionname -- Specifies an entry in the current .pbk file, located in the
\systemroot\System32\Ras folder. If the connection name contains spaces or special
characters, enclose the connection name in quotation marks (").
- The Rasphone.pbk file is used unless the Personal Phonebook option is selected. If
the Personal Phonebook option is selected, the file username.pbk is used. The name
is shown on the Rasphone title bar when Personal Phonebook/p is selected. Numbers
are appended if name conflicts occur.
- username [password | *] -- Specifies a user name and password with which to connect.
If an asterisk is used, the user is prompted for the password, but does not display
the characters typed.
- /domain:domain -- Specifies the domain the user account is located in.
- If not present, the last value of the Domain field in the Connect To dialog box is used.
- /callback:callbacknumber -- Substitutes the specified callback number for the entry's
callback number in Rasphone.pbk.
- /disconnect -- Disconnects the specified entry.
- /phonebook:phonebookpath -- Specifies the path to the phonebook file. The default is
\systemroot\System32\Ras\username.pbk. Specifying a full path to the file is an option.
- /prefixsuffix -- Applies the current TAPI location dialing settings to the phone number.
These settings are configured in Telephony, which is located in Control Panel. This
option is off by default.
Examples:
To connect to the OFFICE entry in Rasphone.pbk, type:
rasdial office
To connect to the OFFICE 2 entry in Rasphone.pbk and specify a callback number, type:
rasdial "office 2" /callback:555-0100
To disconnect from the EAST OFFICE entry, type:
rasdial "EAST OFFICE" /d
RD
Removes (i.e. deletes) a directory.
rd [Drive:]Path [/s] [/q]
rmdir [Drive:]Path [/s] [/q]
Parameters:
- [Drive:]Path -- Specifies the location and name of the directory to delete.
- /s -- Removes the specified directory and all subdirectories including any files.
Use /s to remove a tree.
- /q -- Runs rd in quiet mode. Deletes directories without confirmation.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using rd at the Recovery Console:
====================================
The rd command, with different parameters, is available from the Recovery Console.
Cannot delete directory with hidden or system files:
====================================================
rd will not delete a directory that contains files, including hidden or system files.
Attempt to do so will display the following message:
The directory not empty:
Use the dir command to list hidden and system files, and the attrib command to remove
hidden and system attributes from files. For more information, see Related Topics.
Using the backslash character with the path parameter:
======================================================
If a backslash (\) is inserted before the first directory name in path, the directory is
treated as a subdirectory of the root directory, regardless of the current directory. If
a backslash is not inserted before the first directory name in path, the directory is
treated as a subdirectory of the current directory.
Deleting the current directory:
===============================
rd cannot delete the current directory. That directory must be deleted after changing to a
different directory (but not to a subdirectory of the current directory) and then use rd
with a path. If attempting to delete the current directory, the following message appears:
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process.
Examples:
To delete a directory named \User\Smith, first ensure that the directory is empty. To do
this, type:
dir \user\smith /a
Only the "." and ".." symbols should display.
Then, from any directory except \User\Smith, type:
rd \user\smith
To delete the directory \User and all of the subdirectories and files, type:
rd /s \user
RECOVER
Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
recover [Drive:][Path] FileName
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the file to recover.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The recover command reads a file sector by sector and recovers data from the good sectors.
Data in bad sectors is lost.
Limitation on [drive:][path]filename:
=====================================
Wildcards (* and ?) cannot be used with the recover command. A file must be specified.
Reentering lost data:
=====================
Because all data in bad sectors is lost when recovering a file, files should be recovered
one at a time. Use this method to edit each file and reenter missing information after
recovering the file.
Recovering bad sectors:
=======================
Bad sectors reported by chkdsk were marked as "bad" when the disk was first prepared for
operation. They pose no danger, and recover does not affect them.
Examples:
To recover the file Story.txt in the \Fiction directory in drive D:, type:
recover d:\fiction\story.txt
REDIRECTION
Redirection operators can be used to redirect command input and output streams from
the default locations to different locations. The input or output stream location
is referred to as a handle
The following lists operators that can be used to redirect command input and output streams.
Redirection operator - Description
> - Writes the command output to a file or a device, such as a printer, instead of the
Command Prompt window.
< - Reads the command input from a file, instead of reading input from the keyboard.
>> - Appends the command output to the end of a file without deleting the information that
is already in the file.
>& - Writes the output from one handle to the input of another handle.
<& - Reads the input from one handle and writes it to the output of another handle.
| - Reads the output from one command and writes it to the input of another command. Also
known as a pipe.
By default, the command input (i.e. the STDIN handle) can be sent from the keyboard to
Cmd.exe, and then Cmd.exe sends the command output (i.e. the STDOUT handle) to the Command
Prompt window.
The following table lists the available handles.
Handle - Numeric equivalent of handle - Description
STDIN - 0 - Keyboard input
STDOUT - 1 - Output to the Command Prompt window
STDERR - 2 - Error output to the Command Prompt window
UNDEFINED - 3-9 - These handles are defined individually by the application and are
specific to each tool.
The numbers zero through nine (i.e. 0-9) represent the first 10 handles. Cmd.exe can be
used to run a program and redirect any of the first 10 handles for the program. To specify
which handle to use, type the number of the handle before the redirection operator. If a
handle is not defined, the default < redirection input operator is zero (0) and the default >
redirection output operator is one (1). After typing the < or > operator, specify where to
read or write the data. Either a file name or another existing handle can be specified.
To specify redirection to existing handles, use the ampersand (&) character followed by the
handle number to redirect (i.e. &handle#). For example, the following command redirects
handle 2 (i.e. STDERR) into handle 1 (i.e. STDOUT):
1<&2
Duplicating handles
===================
The & redirection operator duplicates output or input from one specified handle to another
specified handle. For example, to send dir output to File.txt and send the error output to
File.txt, type:
dir>c:\file.txt 2>&1
When duplicating a handle, duplicate all characteristics of the original occurrence of the
handle. For example, if a handle has write-only access, all duplicates of that handle have
write-only access. A handle cannot duplicate a handle with read-only access into a handle
with write-only access.
Redirecting command input (<)
=============================
To redirect command input from the keyboard to a file or device, use the < operator. For
example, to get the command input for the sort command from File.txt, type:
sort)
==============================
Almost all commands send output to the Command Prompt window. Even commands that send
output to a drive or printer display messages and prompts in the Command Prompt window.
To redirect command output from the Command Prompt window to a file or device, use the >
operator. This operator can be used with most commands. For example, to redirect dir
output to Dirlist.txt, type:
dir>dirlist.txt
If Dirlist.txt does not exist, Cmd.exe creates it. If Dirlist.txt exists, Cmd.exe replaces
the information in the file with the output from the dir command.
To run the netsh routing dump command and then send the command output to Route.cfg, type:
netsh routing dump>c:\route.cfg
The > operator opens the specified file with write-only access. As a result, the file cannot
be read with this operator. For example, if start a program with redirection >&0, all
attempts to write handle 1 fail because handle 0 is initially opened with read-only access.
Note: One is the default handle for the > redirection output operator.
Using the <& operator to redirect input and duplicate
=====================================================
To use the redirection input operator <&, the file specified must already exist. If the input
file exists, Cmd.exe opens it as read-only and sends the characters contained in the file as
input to the command as if they were input from the keyboard. If a handle is specified,
Cmd.exe duplicates the handle specified onto the existing handle in the system.
For example, to open File.txt as input read to handle 0 (i.e. STDIN), type:
search.txt 2<&1
To duplicate a user-defined handle 3 as input read to handle 0 (i.e. STDIN), type:
<&3
Using the >& operator to redirect output and duplicate
======================================================
If output is redirected to a file and an existing file name is specified, Cmd.exe opens the
file as write-only and overwrites the file's contents. If a handle is specified, Cmd.exe
duplicates the file onto the existing handle.
To duplicate a user-defined handle 3 into handle 1, type:
>&3
To redirect all of the output, including handle 2 (i.e. STDERR), from the ipconfig command
to handle 1 (i.e. STDOUT), and then redirect the ouput to Output.log, type:
ipconfig.exe>>output.log 2>&1
Using the >> redirection operator to append output
==================================================
To add the output from a command to the end of a file without losing any of the information
already in the file, use two consecutive greater than signs (i.e. >>). For example, the
following command appends the directory list produced by the dir command to the Dirlist.txt
file:
dir>>dirlist.txt
To append the output of the netstat command to the end of Tcpinfo.txt, type:
netstat>>tcpinfo.txt
Using the pipe operator (|)
===========================
The pipe operator (|) takes the output (by default, STDOUT) of one command and directs it
into the input (by default, STDIN) of another command. For example, the following command
sorts a directory:
dir | sort
In this example, both commands start simultaneously, but then the sort command pauses until
it receives the dir command's output. The sort command uses the dir command's output as its
input, and then sends its output to handle 1 (i.e. STDOUT).
Combining commands with redirection operators
=============================================
Custom commands can be created by combining filter commands with other commands and file
names. For example, use the following command to store the names of files that contain the
string "LOG":
dir /b | find "LOG" > loglist.txt
The dir command's output is sent through the find filter command. File names that contain
the string "LOG" are stored as a list of file names (for example, NetshConfig.log,
Logdat.svd, and Mylog.bat) in the Loglist.txt file.
To use more than one filter in the same command, separate the filters with a pipe (|).
For example, the following command searches every directory on drive C:, finds the file
names that include the string "Log", and then displays them in one Command Prompt window
at a time:
dir c:\ /s /b | find "LOG" | more
Use a pipe (|) to direct Cmd.exe to send the dir command output through the find filter
command. The find command selects only file names that contain the string "LOG." The more
command displays the file names that are selected by the find command, one Command Prompt
window at a time. For more information about filter commands, see Using filters.
REG
Add, change and display registry subkey information/values in registry entries
reg add -- Adds a new subkey or entry to the registry
reg add KeyName [/v EntryName|/ve] [/t DataType] [/s separator] [/d value] [/f]
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the format of
\\ComputerName\PathToSubkey. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to
default to the local computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree.
The valid subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- /v EntryName -- Specifies the name of the entry to be added under the specified subkey.
- /ve -- Specifies that the entry that is added to the registry has a null value.
- /t DataType -- Specifies the data type for the value of the entry. DataType can be one
of the following:
-- REG_SZ
-- REG_MULTI_SZ
-- REG_DWORD_BIG_ENDIAN
-- REG_DWORD
-- REG_BINARY
-- REG_DWORD_LITTLE_ENDIAN
-- REG_LINK
-- REG_FULL_RESOURCE_DESCRIPTOR
-- REG_EXPAND_SZ
- /s separator -- Specifies the character used to separate multiple instances of data.
Used when REG_MULTI_SZ is specified as the data type and more than one
entry needs to be listed. If not specified, the default separator is \0.
- /d value -- Specifies the value for the new registry entry.
- /f -- Adds the subkey or entry without asking for confirmation.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Subtrees cannot be added with this operation. This version of Reg does not ask for
confirmation when adding a subkey.
The following table lists the return values for the reg add operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
- reg add \hklm\software\myco /v data /t reg_binary /d fe340ead
- reg add "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /v Name3 /t reg_sz /d Anonymous
- reg add "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /v Time3 /t reg_dword /d 5
reg compare -- Compares specified registry subkeys or entries.
reg compare KeyName1 KeyName2 [/v EntryName | /ve] {[/oa]|[/od]|[/os]|[on]} [/s]
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the format of
\\ComputerName\PathtoSubkey. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to
default to the local computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree.
The valid subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC. If a remote computer
is specified, use the HKLM and HKU subtrees only.
- /v EntryName -- Compares a specific entry under the subkey.
- /ve -- Specifies that only entries that have no value will be compared.
- {[/oa]|[/od]|[/os]|[on]} -- Specifies how differences and matches are displayed.
Default is /od.
Value - Description
/oa - Specifies that all differences and matches are displayed. By default, only the
differences are listed.
/od - Specifies that only differences are displayed. This is the default behavior.
/os - Specifies that only matches are displayed. By default, only the differences will
be listed.
/on - Specifies that nothing is displayed. By default, only the differences will be
listed.
/s Separator -- Compares all subkeys and entries.
/? - Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg compare operation.
Value - Description
0 - The comparison is successful and the result is identical.
1 - The comparison failed.
2 - The comparison is successful and differences were found.
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg compare command can be used:
reg compare "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /od /s
reg copy
Copies a registry entry to a specified location in the local or remote computer.
reg copy KeyName1 KeyName2 [/s] [/f]
Parameters:
- KeyName1 -- Specifies the full path of the subkey to copy. For remote computers,
include the computer name before the path of the subkey in the
\\ComputerName\PathToSubkey format. Omitting ComputerName causes the
operation to default to the local computer. Start the path with the
appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU,
and HKCC. If a remote computer is specified, the HKLM and HKU subtrees
only can be used.
- KeyName2 -- Specifies the full path of the subkey destination. For remote computers,
include the computer name before the path of the subkey in the
\\ComputerName\PathToSubkey format. Omitting ComputerName causes the
operation to default to the local computer. Start the path with the
appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU, and
HKCC. If a remote computer is specified, the HKLM and HKU subtrees only
can be used.
- /s -- Copies all subkeys and entries under the specified subkey.
- /f -- Copies the subkey without asking for confirmation.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
This version of Reg does not ask for confirmation when copying a subkey.
The following table lists the return values for the reg copy operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following examples show how the reg copy command can be used:
- reg copy "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" "hkcu\software\microsoft\winminebk" /s /f
- reg copy "hkcu\software\microsoft\winminebk" "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /s
reg delete
Deletes a subkey or entries from the registry.
reg delete KeyName [{/v EntryName|/ve|/va}] [/f]
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the \\ComputerName\PathToSubkey
format. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to default to the local
computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are
HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- /v EntryName -- Deletes a specific entry under the subkey. If no entry is specified, then
all entries and subkeys under the subkey will be deleted.
- /ve -- Specifies that only entries that have no value will be deleted.
- /va -- Deletes all entries under the specified subkey. Subkeys under the specified subkey
are not deleted with this parameter.
- /f -- Deletes the existing registry subkey or entry without asking for confirmation.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg delete operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following examples show how the reg delete command can be used:
- reg delete "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /v Name1
- reg delete "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /v Time1
- reg delete "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /va
reg export
Creates a copy of specified subkeys, entries and values into a file so that it can be
transferred to other servers.
reg export KeyName FileName
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. The export operation works only with
the local computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid
subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- FileName -- Specifies the name and path of the file to be exported. The file must have
an extension of .reg
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg export operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg export command can be used:
- reg export "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" c:\data\regbackups\wmbkup.reg
reg import
Copies a file containing exported registry subkeys, entries and values into the local
computer's registry.
reg import FileName
Parameters:
- FileName -- Specifies he name and path of the file that will be copied into the registry
of the local computer. This file needs to be created beforehand with the reg
export operation.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg import operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg import command can be used:
reg import "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" c:\data\regbackups\wmbkup.reg
reg load
Writes saved subkeys and entries back to a different subkey in the registry. This is
intended to be a temporary file that can be used for troubleshooting or editing registry
entries.
reg load KeyName FileName
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the \\ComputerName\PathToSubkey
format. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to default to the local
computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are
HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- FileName -- Specifies the name and path of the file that will be loaded. This file must
have been created with the reg save operation using an extension of .hiv.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg load operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg load command can be used:
reg load "hkcu\software\microsoft\winminebk2" wmbkup.hiv
reg query
Returns a list of the next tier of subkeys and entries located under a subkey in the
registry.
reg query KeyName [{/v EntryName|/ve}] [/s]
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the \\ComputerName\PathToSubkey
format. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to default to the local
computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are
HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC. If a remote computer is specified, the HKLM
and HKU subtrees only can be used.
- /v EntryName -- Returns a specific entry and its value. This parameter only returns
entries that are in the tier directly below the specified subkey. Entries
that are located in subkeys under the current subkey will not be found.
When EntryName is omitted, all entries under the subkey are returned.
- /ve -- Specifies that only entries that have no value will be returned.
- /s -- Returns all subkeys and entries in all tiers. Without this parameter, only the next
tier of subkeys and entries will be returned.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg query operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following examples show how the reg query command can be used:
- reg query "hklm\system\currentcontrolset\control\session manager" /v maxstacktracedepth
- reg query "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" /s
reg restore
Writes saved subkeys and entries back to the registry.
reg restore KeyName FileName
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. The restore operation works only with
the local computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid
subtrees are HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- FileName -- Specifies the name and path of the file that will be written back to the
registry. This file needs to be created beforehand with the reg save
operation using an extension of .hiv
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
This operation is used to overwrite registry entries that have been edited. Before editing
entries, save the parent subkey with the reg save operation. If the edit fails, restore the
subkey with this operation.
The following table lists the return values for the reg restore operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg restore command can be used:
reg restore "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" wmbkup.hiv
reg save
Saves a copy of specified subkeys, entries and values of the registry in a specified file.
reg save KeyName FileName
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the \\ComputerName\PathToSubkey
format. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to default to the local
computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are
HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- FileName -- Specifies the name and path of the file that is created. If no path is
specified, then the current path is used.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg save operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg restore command can be used:
reg save "hkcu\software\microsoft\winmine" wmbkup.hiv
reg unload
Removes a section of the registry that was loaded using the reg load operation.
reg unload KeyName
Parameters:
- KeyName -- Specifies the full path of the subkey. For remote computers, include the
computer name before the path of the subkey in the \\ComputerName\PathToSubkey
format. Omitting ComputerName causes the operation to default to the local
computer. Start the path with the appropriate subtree. The valid subtrees are
HKLM, HKCU, HKCR, HKU and HKCC.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following table lists the return values for the reg unload operation.
Value - Description
0 - Success
1 - Failure
Examples:
The following example shows how the reg restore command can be used:
- reg unload "hkcu\software\microsoft\winminebk2"
Caution:
Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage the system. Before making changes to
the registry, back up any valued data on the computer.
Caution:
Do not edit the registry directly unless there are no alternative. The registry editor
bypasses standard safeguards, allowing settings that can degrade performance, damage the
system, or even require Windows to be reinstalled. It is best to safely alter most
registry settings by using the programs in Control Panel or Microsoft Management Console
(MMC). If the registry must be edited directly, back it up first. Read the Registry
Editor Help for more information.
Remarks:
Using Reg directly edits the registry of local or remote computers. These changes can
render the computers inoperable and cause the need for a new installation of the operating
system. Instead of directly editing the registry, use Control Panel or Microsoft Management
Console, whenever possible, to make changes to the registry.
Some operations allow the viewing or configuration of registry entries on local or remote
computers, while others allow only the configuration of local computers. Also, accessing
the registry remotely might limit the parameters that are available in an operation. Check
the syntax for each operation to verify that it can be used on remote computers and to
verify the parameters that can be used in that situation.
REGEDIT
View and edit the Windows System Registry
regedit [/S\ [/e] [/c] [L:system /R:user] [/d] [reg file name]
Parameters:
- regfile -- import/merge a registry file with confirmation
Note that if a key has a dash/hyphen before it (and after
the open bracket) then that key/tree will be deleted instead
of imported/merged. To remove a specific value, the dash or
hyphen goes after the equals sign (see example below)
- /s -- import/merge a registry file without any confirmation
- /e -- export any portion (per the given key) of the Registry to a file
- /c -- compress a registry file (available only in Win 98)
- /d -- delete (available only in Win 95,98 and Me)
- /L and /r -- specify location of the system.dat file and user.dat file
(available only in Win 95,98 and Me)
Examples:
- regedit /s newregistrykey.req
- regedit /e microsoft.txt HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
- regedit /L:c:\windows\system.dat /r:c:\windows\user.dat
- regedit /d microsoft.txt HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft
- regedit somefile.reg
whose contents include:
REGEDIT4
; @ECHO OFF
; CLS
; REGEDIT.EXE /S "%~f0"
; EXIT
[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\KeyToRemove]
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\KeyRemoveOnlyOneString]
"StringToBeRemoved"=-
This will remove the entire key/tree "KeyToRemove"
and it will remove the string for "StringToBeRemoved"
leaving the rest of KeyRemoveOnlyOneString as it was.
Note that the line "REGEDIT4" is required.
The CLS will prevent any popup error messages.
The EXIT is to get out of here if severe error occurs.
The REGEDIT statement runs the comand and uses the "%~f0"
like it does parameters in a batch command file.
REGSVR32
Registers .dll files as command components in the registry.
regsvr32 [/u] [/s] [/n] [/i[:cmdline]] dllname
Parameters:
- /u -- Unregisters server.
- /s -- Specifies regsvr32 to run silently and to not display any message boxes.
- /n -- Specifies not to call DllRegisterServer, this must be used with option /i.
- /i:cmdline -- Calls DllInstall passing it an optional [cmdline]. When used with
/u it calls dll uninstall.
- dllname -- Specifies the name of the dll file that will be registered.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Examples:
To register the .dll for the Active Directory Schema, type:
regsvr32 schmmgmt.dll
REM
Enables comments/remarks to be included in batch files and configuration files
rem [comment]
Parameters:
- comment -- Specifies any string of characters to include as a comment.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using the echo command to display comments:
The rem command does not display comments on the screen. The echo on
command in a batch or Config.nt file is used to display comments.
Restrictions on batch file comments:
A redirection character "(" or ")" or pipe (|) cannot be used in a batch
file comment.
Using rem to add vertical spacing:
Although the rem without a comment can be used to add vertical spacing to a
batch file, blank lines can also be used. The blank lines are ignored when
processing the batch program.
Examples:
The following example shows a batch file that uses remarks for both explanations
and vertical spacing:
@echo off
rem This batch program formats and checks new disks.
rem It is named Checknew.bat.
rem
echo Insert new disk in drive B.
pause
format b: /v
chkdsk b:
To include an explanatory comment in the Config.nt file before the prompt command,
add the following lines to Config.nt:
rem Set prompt to indicate current directory
prompt $p$g
REN
Changes the name of a file or a set of files.
REN [drive:][path]filename1 filename2
RENAME [drive:][path]filename1 filename2
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] filename1 -- Specifies the location and name of the file or set of files
to rename.
- filename2 -- Specifies the new name for the file. Wildcards (* and ?) are used,
filename2 specifies the new names for the files. A new drive or path cannot
be specified when renaming files.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Renaming files:
===============
All files matching the specified file name can be renamed. The rename command cannot be
used to rename files across drives or to move files to a different directory location.
Using wildcards with rename:
============================
Wildcards (* and ?) can be used in either file name parameter. If wildcards are used in
filename2, the characters represented by the wildcards will be identical to the
corresponding characters in filename1.
Rename will not work if filename2 already exists
If, for filename2, a file name that already exists is specified, rename displays the
following message:
Duplicate file name or file not found
Examples:
To change the extensions of all the file names in the current directory that, for
example, have the extension .txt to .doc extensions, type:
ren *.txt *.doc
To rename a file or directory named Chap10 to Part10, type:
ren chap10 part10
To remove a prefix from a group of file names, type such as:
ren "xxxx*.*" "////*.*"
where "xxxx" is the prefix to remove from the file names
and "////" are one-for-one placeholders for the prefix characters to be removed from the file names
Example: file names have prefix "abcdef" thus type: ren "abcdef*.* "//////*.*"
To add a prefix (e.g. "abc") to a group of file names, type such as:
for %a in (*.*) do ren "%a" "abc%a"
RENAME
Renames a file or files.
See REN
REPLACE
Replaces files in the destination directory with files in the source directory that have the
same name.
replace [drive1:][path1] FileName [drive2:][path2] [/a] [/p] [/r] [/w]
replace [drive1:][path1] FileName [drive2:][path2] [/p] [/r] [/s] [/w] [/u]
Parameters:
- [drive1:][path1] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the source file or set of
files.
- [drive2:][path2] -- Specifies the location of the destination file. A file name cannot be
specified for replaced files. If neither a drive nor a directory is
specified, replace uses the current drive and directory as the
destination.
- /a -- Adds new files to the destination directory instead of replacing existing files.
This command-line option cannot be used with the /s or /u command-line option.
- /p -- Prompts for confirmation before replacing a destination file or adding a source file.
- /r -- Replaces read-only files as well as unprotected files. If this command-line option is
not specified but attempts to replace a read-only file, an error results and stops
the replacement operation.
- /w -- Waits for a disk to be inserted before replace begins to search for source files.
If /w is not specified, replace begins replacing or adding files immediately after
pressing ENTER.
- /s -- Searches all subdirectories of the destination directory and replaces matching files.
The /s command-line option cannot be used with the /a command-line option. The
replace command does not search subdirectories specified in path1.
- /u -- Replaces (updates) only those files on the destination directory that are older than
those in the source directory. The /u command-line option cannot be used with the /a
command-line option.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
replace can be used to add unique file names to the destination directory.
Replace messages
=================
As replace adds or replaces files, the file names are displayed on the screen. After the
replace command is finished, a summary line is displayed in one of the following formats:
nnn files added
nnn files replaced
no file added
no file replaced
Replacing files on floppy disks
================================
If using floppy disks and need to switch disks during the replace operation, specify the /w
command-line option so that replace will wait for switching disks, as necessary.
Limitations on replace
The replace command cannot be used to update hidden files or system files. For information
about changing hidden and system attributes, click attrib in the Related Topics list.
Replace exit codes
===================
The following list shows each exit code and a brief description of its meaning:
Exit code - Description
0 - The replace command successfully replaced or added the files.
1 - The replace command encountered an incorrect version of MS-DOS.
2 - The replace command could not find the source files.
3 - The replace command could not find the source or destination path.
5 - The user does not have access to the files to replace.
8 - There is insufficient system memory to carry out the command.
11 - The user used the wrong syntax on the command line.
The errorlevel parameter can be used on the if command line in a batch program to process
exit codes returned by replace. For an example of a batch program that processes exit codes,
click if in the Related Topics list.
Examples:
Suppose that several directories on drive C contain different versions of a file named
Phones.cli, which contains client names and phone numbers. To replace all of these files
with the latest version of the Phones.cli file from the disk in drive A, type:
replace a:\phones.cli c:\ /s
To add new printer device drivers to a directory on drive C named Tools, which already
contains several printer device-driver files for a word processor:
replace a:*.prd c:\tools /a
This command searches the current directory on drive A for any files that have the extension
.prd and then adds these files to the Tools directory on drive C. Because the /a command-line
option is included, replace adds only those files from drive A that do not exist on drive C.
RMDIR
Removes (deletes) a directory.
See RD
RUNAS
Allows a user to run specific tools and programs with different permissions than the user's
current logon provides.
runas [{/profile|/noprofile}] [/env] [/netonly] [/smartcard] [/showtrustlevels] [/trustlevel]
/user:UserAccountName program
Parameters:
- /profile -- Loads the user's profile. /profile is the default.
- /no profile -- Specifies that the user's profile is not to be loaded. This allows the
application to load more quickly, but it can also cause a malfunction in
some applications.
- /env -- Specifies that the current network environment be used instead of the user's
local environment.
- /netonly -- Indicates that the user information specified is for remote access only.
- /smartcard -- Indicates whether the credentials are to be supplied from a smartcard.
- /showtrustlevels -- Lists the /trustlevel options.
- /trustlevel -- Specifies the level of authorization at which the application is to run.
Use /showtrustlevels to see the trust levels available.
- /user:UserAccountName -- Specifies the name of the user account under which to run the
program. The user account format should be user@domain or
\Domain\User.
- program -- Specifies the program or command to run using the account specified in /user.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
It is good practice for administrators to use an account with restrictive permissions to
perform routine, nonadministrative tasks, and to use an account with broader permissions only
when performing specific administrative tasks. To accomplish this without logging off and
back on, log on with a regular user account, and then use the runas command to run the tools
that require the broader permissions.
For examples of the use of the runas command, see Related Topics.
The use of runas is not restricted to administrator accounts, although that is the most common
use. Any user with multiple accounts can use runas to run a program, MMC console, or Control
Panel item with alternate credentials.
To use the Administrator account for the /user: parameter, type one of the following:
- /user:AdministratorAccountName@ComputerName
- /user:ComputerName\AdministratorAccountName
To use this command as a domain administrator, type one of the following:
- /user:AdministratorAccountName@DomainName
- /user:DomainName\AdministratorAccountName
Runas allows running programs (*.exe), saved MMC consoles (*.msc), shortcuts to programs and
saved MMC consoles, and Control Panel items. These can be run as an administrator while logged
onto the PC as a member of another group, such as the Users or Power Users group.
Runas can start any program, MMC console, or Control Panel item. As long appropriate user
account and password information are provided, the user account has the ability to log on to
the computer, and the program, MMC console, or Control Panel item is available on the system
and to the user account.
The runas command allows administering a server in another forest (i.e. the local computer
running a tool and the server being administered are in different domains).
When starting a program, MMC console, or Control Panel item from a network location using runas,
it might fail because the credentials used to connect to the network share are different from
the credentials used to start the program. The latter credentials may not be able to gain access
to the same network share.
Some items, such as the Printers folder and desktop items, are opened indirectly and cannot be
started with the runas command.
If the runas command fails, the Secondary Logon service might not be running or the user
account being used might not be valid. To check the status of the Secondary Logon service, in
Computer Management, click Services and Applications, and then click Services. To test the user
account, try logging on to the appropriate domain using the account.
Examples:
To start an instance of the command prompt as an administrator on the local computer, type:
- runas /user:localmachinename\administrator cmd
When prompted, type the administrator password.
To start an instance of the Computer Management snap-in using a domain administrator account
called companydomain\domainadmin, type:
runas /user:companydomain\domainadmin "mmc %windir%\system32\compmgmt.msc"
When prompted, type the account password.
To start an instance of Notepad using a domain administrator account called user in a domain
called domain.microsoft.com, type:
runas /user:user@domain.microsoft.com "notepad my_file.txt"
When prompted, type the account password.
To start an instance of a command prompt window, saved MMC console, Control Panel item, or
program that will administer a server in another forest, type:
- runas /netonly /user:domain\username "command"
domain\username must be a user with sufficient permissions to administer the server.
When prompted, type the account password.
Scanner/Camera Settings
This is a short cut to start up the SCANNER/CAMERA Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
SCICPL.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
SCHTASKS
Manage Windows scheduled tasks using the command prompt
This is a HUGE topic, more than is necessary to put here. See
http://www.microsoft.com
/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/ntcmds.mspx?mfr=true
for a detailed write up about this if it is really necessary.
Otherwise, it is much easier to use the GUI interface found under the
Control Panel > Scheduled Tasks
Security Policy
This is a short cut to start up the Local Security Policy dialog portion of the
Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
secpol.msc and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Windows Services
This is a short cut to start up the Windows Services Management dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
SERVICES.MSC and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
SET
Displays, sets, or removes cmd.exe environment variables.
SET [variable=[string]]
variable Specifies the environment-variable name.
string Specifies a series of characters to assign to the variable.
Type SET without parameters to display the current environment variables.
If Command Extensions are enabled SET changes as follows:
SET command invoked with just a variable name, no equal sign or value
will display the value of all variables whose prefix matches the name
given to the SET command. For example:
SET P
would display all variables that begin with the letter 'P'
SET command will set the ERRORLEVEL to 1 if the variable name is not
found in the current environment.
SET command will not allow an equal sign to be part of the name of
a variable.
Two new switches have been added to the SET command:
SET /A expression
SET /P variable=[promptString]
The /A switch specifies that the string to the right of the equal sign
is a numerical expression that is evaluated. The expression evaluator
is pretty simple and supports the following operations, in decreasing
order of precedence:
() - grouping
! ~ - - unary operators
* / % - arithmetic operators
+ - - arithmetic operators
<< >> - logical shift
& - bitwise and
^ - bitwise exclusive or
| - bitwise or
= *= /= %= += -= - assignment
&= ^= |= <<= >>=
, - expression separator
If any of the logical or modulus operators are used, enclose the expression
string in quotes. Any non-numeric strings in the expression are treated as
environment variable names whose values are converted to numbers before
using them. If an environment variable name is specified but is not defined
in the current environment, then a value of zero is used. This allows
arithmetic to be done with environment variable values without having to type
all those % signs to get their values. If SET /A is executed from the command
line outside of a command script, then it displays the final value of the
expression. The assignment operator requires an environment variable name
to the left of the assignment operator. Numeric values are decimal numbers,
unless prefixed by 0x for hexadecimal numbers, and 0 for octal numbers.
So 0x12 is the same as 18 is the same as 022. Please note that the octal
notation can be confusing: 08 and 09 are not valid numbers because 8 and
9 are not valid octal digits.
The /P switch allows a line of input entered by the user to be set as the
value of a variable. Displays the specified promptString before reading
the line of input. The promptString can be empty.
Environment variable substitution has been enhanced as follows:
%PATH:str1=str2%
would expand the PATH environment variable, substituting each occurrence
of "str1" in the expanded result with "str2". "str2" can be the empty
string to effectively delete all occurrences of "str1" from the expanded
output. "str1" can begin with an asterisk, in which case it will match
everything from the beginning of the expanded output to the first
occurrence of the remaining portion of str1.
May also specify substrings for an expansion.
%PATH:~10,5%
would expand the PATH environment variable, and then use only the 5
characters that begin at the 11th (offset 10) character of the expanded
result. If the length is not specified, then it defaults to the
remainder of the variable value. If either number (offset or length) is
negative, then the number used is the length of the environment variable
value added to the offset or length specified.
%PATH:~-10%
would extract the last 10 characters of the PATH variable.
%PATH:~0,-2%
would extract all but the last 2 characters of the PATH variable.
Finally, support for delayed environment variable expansion has been
added. This support is always disabled by default, but may be
enabled/disabled via the /V command line switch to CMD.EXE. See CMD /?
Delayed environment variable expansion is useful for getting around
the limitations of the current expansion which happens when a line
of text is read, not when it is executed. The following example
demonstrates the problem with immediate variable expansion:
set VAR=before
if "%VAR%" == "before" (
set VAR=after
if "%VAR%" == "after" @echo If this is seen, then it worked
)
would never display the message, since the %VAR% in BOTH IF statements
is substituted when the first IF statement is read, since it logically
includes the body of the IF, which is a compound statement. So the
IF inside the compound statement is really comparing "before" with
"after" which will never be equal. Similarly, the following example
will not work as expected:
set LIST=
for %i in (*) do set LIST=%LIST% %i
echo %LIST%
in that it will NOT build up a list of files in the current directory,
but instead will just set the LIST variable to the last file found.
Again, this is because the %LIST% is expanded just once when the
FOR statement is read, and at that time the LIST variable is empty.
So the actual FOR loop we are executing is:
for %i in (*) do set LIST= %i
which just keeps setting LIST to the last file found.
Delayed environment variable expansion allows the use of a different
character (the exclamation mark) to expand environment variables at
execution time. If delayed variable expansion is enabled, the above
examples could be written as follows to work as intended:
set VAR=before
if "%VAR%" == "before" (
set VAR=after
if "!VAR!" == "after" @echo If this is seen, then it worked
)
set LIST=
for %i in (*) do set LIST=!LIST! %i
echo %LIST%
If Command Extensions are enabled, then there are several dynamic
environment variables that can be expanded but which do not show up in
the list of variables displayed by SET. These variable values are
computed dynamically each time the value of the variable is expanded.
If the user explicitly defines a variable with one of these names, then
that definition will override the dynamic one described below:
%CD% - expands to the current directory string.
%DATE% - expands to current date using same format as DATE command.
%TIME% - expands to current time using same format as TIME command.
%RANDOM% - expands to a random decimal number between 0 and 32767.
%ERRORLEVEL% - expands to the current ERRORLEVEL value
%CMDEXTVERSION% - expands to the current Command Processor Extensions
version number.
%CMDCMDLINE% - expands to the original command line that invoked the
Command Processor.
SETLOCAL
Starts localization of environment variables in a batch file. Localization
continues until a matching endlocal command is encountered or the end of the
batch file is reached.
setlocal {enableextensions | disableextensions} {enabledelayedexpansion
| disabledelayedexpansion}
Parameters:
- enableextensions -- Enables the command extensions until the matching endlocal command is
encountered, regardless of the setting prior to the setlocal command.
- disableextensions -- Disables the command extensions until the matching endlocal command
is encountered, regardless of the setting prior to the setlocal command.
- enabledelayedexpansion -- Enables the delayed environment variable expansion until the
matching endlocal command is encountered, regardless of the setting prior to the setlocal
command.
- disabledelayedexpansion -- Disables the delayed environment variable expansion until the
matching endlocal command is encountered, regardless of the setting prior to the setlocal
command.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using setlocal:
When setlocal is used outside of a script or batch file, it has no effect.
Changing environmental variables:
Use setlocal to change environment variables when running a batch file. Environment
changes made after setlocal is run are local to the batch file. Cmd.exe restores previous
settings when it either encounters an endlocal command or reaches the end of the batch
file.
More than one setlocal or endlocal command in a batch program (i.e. nested commands) can
be used.
Testing for command extensions in batch files:
The setlocal command sets the ERRORLEVEL variable. If either {enableextensions
| disableextensions} or {enabledelayedexpansion | disabledelayedexpansion} are passed,
the ERRORLEVEL variable is set to zero (0). Otherwise, it is set to one (1). This can
be used in batch scripts to determine whether the extensions are available, for example:
verify other 2>nul
setlocal enableextensions
if errorlevel 1 echo Unable to enable extensions
Because cmd does not set the ERRORLEVEL variable when command extensions are disabled, the
verify command initializes the ERRORLEVEL variable to a nonzero value when used with an
invalid argument. Also, if the setlocal command is used with arguments {enableextensions
| disableextensions} or {enabledelayedexpansion | disabledelayedexpansion} and it does
not set the ERRORLEVEL variable to one (1), command extensions are not available.
For more information about enabling and disabling command extensions, see cmd in Related
Topics.
Examples:
Localize environment variables can be used in a batch file, as follows:
rem *******Begin Comment**************
rem This program starts the superapp batch program on the network,
rem directs the output to a file, and displays the file
rem in Notepad.
rem *******End Comment**************
@echo off
setlocal
path=g:\programs\superapp;%path%
call superapp>c:\superapp.out
endlocal
start notepad c:\superapp.out
SFC: System File Checker
Validate that the Windows files are the valid ones from Microsoft
Sfc [/Scannow] [/Scanonce] [/Scanboot] [/Revert] [/Purgecache] [/Cachesize=x]
Parameters:
- /Scannow -- Scans all protected system files immediately and replaces incorrect versions
with correct Microsoft versions. This command may require access to the
Windows installation source files.
- /Scanonce -- Scans all protected system files one time when the computer is restarted.
This command may require access to the Windows installation source files
when the computer is restarted. The SfcScan DWORD value is set to 2 in the
following registry key when this command is run:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- /Scanboot -- Scans all protected system files every time the computer is restarted.
This command may require access to the Windows installation source files
every time the computer is retarted. The SfcScan DWORD value is set to 1
in the following registry key when this command is rn:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- /Revert -- Returns scan to the default setting (do not scan protected files when the
computer is restarted).The default cache size is not reset when this command
is run. This command is equivalent to the /Enable switch in Windows 2000.
- /Purgecache -- Purges the file cache and scans all protected system files immediately.
This command may require access to the Windows installation source files.
- /Cachesize=x -- Sets the file cache size to x megabytes (MB). The default size of the
cache is 50 MB. This command requires the computer to be restarted, and
then run the /purgecache command to adjust the size of the on-disk
cache. This command sets the SfcQuota DWORD value to x in the following
registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Remarks:
System File Checker gives an administrator the ability to scan all protected files to verify
their versions. If System File Checker discovers that a protected file has been overwritten,
it retrieves the correct version of the file from the cache folder
(%Systemroot%\System32\Dllcache) or the Windows installation source files, and then replaces
the incorrect file. System File Checker also checks and repopulates the cache folder. Only a
member of the Administrators group can run System File Checker. If the cache folder becomes
damaged or unusable, use the sfc /scannow, the sfc /scanonce, or the sfc /scanboot commands
to repair its contents.
SHADOW
Remotely monitor and control another user's Terminal Services session.
{session_name | session_id} [/server:server_name] [/v]
Parameters:
- session_name -- Use this parameter to specify the name of the session to remotely control.
- session_id -- Use this parameter to specify the identification number (ID) of the session
to remotely control.
- /server:server_name -- Use this parameter to specify the Terminal server that contains the
session to remotely control. By default, the current Terminal server
is used.
- /v -- Use this parameter to display information about the actions that are being performed.
Remarks:
The shadow command can be used to view or actively control an active session of another user.
If actively controlling a user's session, input keyboard and mouse actions can be used for
that session.
Sessions (except for the current session) on the local PC can be remotely controlled. To do
so, Full Control access permissions to remotely control another session must be available.
The local session must be able to support the video resolution that is used for the session
being remotely controlled. If the session cannot support the video resolution of this
session, the other session cannot remotely controlled.
While in this console session, another session cannot be remotely controlled and the session
cannot be remotely controlled by another session.
The remote control functionality can be used to observe or actively control another session.
How to Configure Remote Control Settings:
=========================================
To configure remote control for users and sessions, use either Terminal Services
Configuration or the Terminal Services extensions to Local Users and Groups and the Terminal
Services extensions to Active Directory for Users and Computers.
To configure remote control settings:
- Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Terminal
Services Configuration.
- In the console tree, click Connections.
- Right-click the connection to configure remote control in the details pane, and then click
Properties.
- Click the Remote Control tab, and then click Use remote control with the following settings
to configure remote control for the connection.
- To configure remote control so that a message is displayed on the client computer that
prompts the user for permission to view or take part in the session, click to select the
Require user's permission check box.
- Under Level of control, click either of the following options:
-- View the session: Click this option to specify that the user's session can be viewed
only.
-- Interact with the session: Click this option to specify that the user's session can be
actively controlled with the keyboard and mouse.
Troubleshooting:
================
- The following error message can be received:
Remote control failed. Error code 7044
Error [7044]:The request to control another session remotely was denied.
This message occurs if either there is no response from the computer that is to be
monitored or if the request is refused. Before monitoring begins, the server prompts the
user that the session is about to be remotely controlled, (unless this warning is turned
off). The user of the computer that is to be monitored receives the following message:
\\server\tester is requesting to control the session remotely.
Do you accept the request?
Click Yes on the computer that is to be monitored to allow the session to be monitored.
For more information about how to configure remote control settings, see the Configure
Remote Control Settings section of this article.
- If the shadow command is run from the console session, the following error message may
be received:
Remote control failed. Error code 7050
Error [7050]:The requested session cannot be controlled remotely.
This may be because the session is disconnected or does not currently have a user
logged on. This error message occurs because another session cannot be remotely
controlled while in this console session and the session cannot be remotely controlled
by another session.
Examples:
- To display a list of sessions and their session IDs, type query user at the command
line on the server, and then press ENTER. The following output is displayed:
USERNAME SESSIONNAME ID STATE IDLE TIME LOGON TIME
tester console 0 Active . 3/26/2011 11:17 AM
>tester rdp-tcp#3 1 Active . 3/26/2011 4:02 PM
tester rdp-tcp#6 2 Active 12 3/27/2011 8:44 AM
- To shadow session 2, type shadow 2.
- To shadow the session rdp-tcp#3, type shadow rdp-tcp#3.
- Before monitoring another session, the user of the other session receives the following
message (unless this warning is disabled):
\\server\tester is requesting to control the session remotely.
Do you accept the request?
The session may stop responding (hang) for a few seconds while the server waits for a
response from the user.
- Press CTRL+* to end the remotely controlled session (use the asterisk [*] from the
numeric keypad only).
- A hot key can be defined in Terminal Services Manager to end the remotely controlled
session.
SHIFT
Changes the position of batch parameters in a batch file
shift [/n]
Parameters:
- /n -- start shifting at the nth argument, n is between zero and eight
Remarks:
Using the shift command-line option with command extensions
When command extensions are enabled (i.e. the default), the shift
command supports the /n command-line option, which tells the command to
start shifting at the nth argument, where n can be a value from zero to
eight. For example,
SHIFT /2
would shift %3 to %2, %4 to %3, and so on, and leave %0 and %1 unaffected.
How the shift command works
The shift command changes the values of the batch parameters %0 through %9
by copying each parameter into the previous one. In other words, the value
of %1 is copied to %0, the value of %2 is copied to %1, and so on. This is
useful for writing a batch file that performs the same operation on any
number of parameters.
Working with more than ten batch parameters
Shift can be used to create a batch file that can accept more than ten batch
parameters. If more than ten parameters are specified on the command line,
those that appear after the tenth (%9) will be shifted one at a time into %9.
Using %* with shift
Shift has no affect on the %* batch parameter.
Shifting parameters back
There is no backward shift command. After the shift command is run, the
first batch parameter (%0) that existed before the shift is lost.
Examples:
The following batch file, Mycopy.bat, shows how to use shift with any number
of batch parameters. It copies a list of files to a specific directory. The
batch parameters are represented by the directory and file name arguments.
@echo off
rem MYCOPY.BAT copies any number of files
rem to a directory.
rem The command uses the following syntax:
rem mycopy dir file1 file2 ...
set todir=%1
:getfile
shift
if "%1"=="" goto end
copy %1 %todir%
goto getfile
:end
set todir=
echo All done
The following would shift %3 to %2, %4 to %3, etc. and leave %0 and %1 unaffected.
SHIFT /2
How to create a shortcut icon on the desktop
To create a shortcut icon on the desktop that can launch an application, use these steps:
- Right mouse click anywhere on the desktop (but on an empty space and not on an open window)
- Select New
- Select Shortcut
- Select Browse and select a folder or an application or action to make a short cut for it
- Click Next
- Type in a meaningful yet short name for the shortcut
- Click Finish
- Right mouse on the new shortcut icon
- Select Properties
- Click button Change Icon
- A selection of icons to use for the shortcut should appear. If not then either type in the full path to a file that has icon or click the BROWSE button and navigate to a file that has icons. Example files with many icons can be found in %SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll
Note that the shortcut is usually a program file (i.e. a file with an extension of .EXE). However, it can also be a URL to a website or a full path to a specific folder/directory or even a full path to a specific file.
SHUTDOWN
Shut down or restart a local or remote computer.
shutdown [{-l|-s|-r|-a}] [-f] [-m [\\ComputerName]] [-t xx] [-c "message"]
[-d[u][p]:xx:yy]
Parameters:
- -l -- Logs off the current user, this is also the defualt. -m ComputerName takes precedence.
- -s -- Shuts down the local computer.
- -r -- Reboots after shutdown.
- -a -- Aborts shutdown. Ignores other parameters, except -l and ComputerName. This parameter
can only be used during the time-out period.
- -f -- Forces running applications to close.
- -m [\\ComputerName] -- Specifies the computer to shut down.
- -t xx -- Sets the timer for system shutdown in xx seconds. The default is 20 seconds.
- -c "message" -- Specifies a message (enclosed in quotes)) to be displayed (max 127 characters)
in the Message area of the System Shutdown window.
- -d [u][p]:xx:yy -- Lists the reason code for the shutdown. The following table lists the
different values.
Value - Description
u - Indicates a user code.
p - Indicates a planned shutdown code.
xx - Specifies the major reason code (0-255).
yy - Specifies the minor reason code (0-65536).
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
No parameters will logoff the current user.
To use major and minor reason codes, they must first be defined on each computer that needs the
particular reason. If the reason codes are not defined on the target computer, Event Viewer
cannot log the correct reason text.
Examples:
To shut down \\MyServer in 60 seconds, force running applications to close, restart the computer
after shutdown, indicate a user code, indicate that the shutdown is planned, log major reason
code 125, and log minor reason code 1, type:
shutdown -r -f -m \\MyServer -t 60 -d up:125:1
SORT
Reads input, sorts data, and writes the results to the screen, to a file,
or to another device
sort [/r] [/+n] [/m kilobytes] [/l locale] [/rec characters]
[[drive1:][path1]filename1] [/t [drive2:][path2]] [/o [drive3:][path3]filename3]
[command |] sort [/r] [/+n] [/m kilobytes] [/l locale] [/rec characters]
[[drive1:][path1]filename1][/t [drive2:][path2]] [/o [drive3:][path3]filename3]
Parameters:
- /r -- Reverses the sort order (i.e. sorts from Z to A, and then from 9 to 0).
- /+n -- Specifies the character position number, n, at which sort begins each comparison.
- /m kilobytes -- Specifies the amount of main memory to use for the sort, in kilobytes (KB).
- /l locale -- Overrides the sort order of characters defined by the system default locale
(i.e. the language and Country/Region selected during installation).
- /rec characters -- Specifies the maximum number of characters in a record, or a line of the
input file (the default is 4,096, and the maximum is 65,535).
- [drive1:][path1]filename1 -- Specifies the file to be sorted. If no file name is specified,
the standard input is sorted. Specifying the input file is faster than redirecting
the same file as standard input.
- /t [drive2:][path2] -- Specifies the path of the directory to hold the sort command's
working storage, in case the data does not fit in main memory. The default is to
use the system temporary directory.
- /o [drive3:][path3]filename3 -- Specifies the file where the sorted input is to be stored.
If not specified, the data is written to the standard output. Specifying the output
file is faster than redirecting standard output to the same file.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using the /+n command-line option:
==================================
In using the /+n command-line option, for example, /+3 indicates that each comparison
should begin at the third character in each line. Lines with fewer than n characters
collate before other lines. By default, comparisons start at the first character in
each line.
Using the /m kilobytes command-line option:
===========================================
The memory used is always a minimum of 160 KB. If the memory size is specified, the
exact specified amount (but at least 160 KB) is used for the sort, regardless of how
much main memory is available.
The default maximum memory size when no size is specified is 90 percent of available
main memory if both the input and output are files, and 45 percent of main memory
otherwise. The default setting usually gives the best performance.
Using the /l locale command-line option:
========================================
Currently, the only alternative to the default locale is the "C" locale, which is
faster than natural language sorting and sorts characters according to their binary
encodings.
Specifying a source:
====================
Unless the command or FileName parameter is specified, sort acts as a filter and takes
input from the standard input (i.e. usually from the keyboard, from a pipe, or from a file).
Using redirection symbols with sort:
====================================
The pipe (|) symbol can be used to direct data through the sort command from another
command, or to direct the sort output to another command (for example, to the more
command to display information one screen at a time). Using the less than symbol (<)
or greater than symbol (>) to specify the input file or output file may not be very
efficient; instead, specify the input file directly (as defined in the command syntax)
and specify the output file using the /o parameter. This can be much faster, particularly
with large files.
Uppercase vs. lowercase:
========================
The sort command does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters.
Limits on file size:
====================
The sort command has no limit on file size.
Collating sequence:
===================
The sort program uses the collating-sequence table that corresponds to the Country/Region
code and code-page settings. Characters greater than ASCII code 127 are sorted based on
information in the Country.sys file or in an alternate file specified by the country command
in the Config.nt file.
Memory usage:
=============
If the sort fits in memory (i.e. either the default maximum memory size or as specified by
the /m parameter), the sort is performed in one pass. Otherwise, the sort is performed in
two passes, such that the amounts of memory used for both the sort and merge passes are
equal. When two passes are performed, the partially sorted data is stored in a temporary
file on disk. If there is not enough memory to perform the sort in two passes, a run-time
error is issued. If the /m command-line option is used to specify more memory than is truly
available, performance degradation or a run-time error can occur.
Examples:
Sorting a file:
===============
The following command reads the file Expenses.txt, sorts it in reverse order, and displays
it on the screen:
sort /r expenses.txt
Sorting the output from a command:
==================================
To search a large file named Maillist.txt for the text "Jones," and to sort the results of
the search, use the pipe (|) to direct the output of a find command to the sort command,
as follows:
find "Jones" maillist.txt | sort
The command produces a sorted list of lines that contain the specified text.
Sorting keyboard input:
=======================
To sort keyboard input and display the results alphabetically on the screen, first use the
sort command with no parameters, as follows:
sort
Then type the text to be sorted, pressing ENTER at the end of each line. When finished
typing text, press CTRL+Z, and then press ENTER. The sort command displays the typed text,
sorted alphabetically.
Sorted keyboard input can also be redirected to a file. For more information, click redirect
in the Related Topics list.
Sound/Audio Devices
This is a short cut to start up the Volume, Sound and Audio Devices dialog portion
of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
mmsys.cpl and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
START
Starts a separate window to run a specified program or command.
Starts a separate Command Prompt window to run a specified program or command.
start ["title"] [/dPath] [/i] [/min] [/max] [{/separate | /shared}]
[{/low | /normal | /high | /realtime | /abovenormal | belownormal}]
[/wait] [/b] [FileName] [parameters]
Parameters:
- "title" -- Specifies the title to display in Command Prompt window title bar.
- /dPath -- Specifies the startup directory.
- /i -- Passes the Cmd.exe startup environment to the new Command Prompt window.
- /min -- Starts a new minimized Command Prompt window.
- /max -- Starts a new maximized Command Prompt window.
- /separate -- Starts 16-bit programs in a separate memory space.
- /shared -- Starts 16-bit programs in a shared memory space.
- /low -- Starts an application in the idle priority class.
- /normal -- Starts an application in the normal priority class.
- /high -- Starts an application in the high priority class.
- /realtime -- Starts an application in the realtime priority class.
- /abovenormal -- Starts an application in the abovenormal priority class.
- /belownormal -- Starts an application in the belownormal priority class.
- /wait -- Starts an application and waits for it to end.
- /b -- Starts an application without opening a new Command Prompt window. CTRL+C handling is
ignored unless the application enables CTRL+C processing. Use CTRL+BREAK to interrupt
the application.
- FileName -- Specifies the command or program to start.
- parameters -- Specifies parameters to pass to the command or program.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, start opens a second command prompt window.
Non-executable files can be run through their file association by typing the name of the file
as a command. For more information about creating these associations in a command script by
using assoc and ftype, see Related Topics.
When runing a command that contains a the string "CMD" as the first token without an extension
or path qualifier, "CMD" is replaced with the value of the COMSPEC variable. This prevents users
from picking up cmd from the current directory.
When running a 32-bit graphical user interface (GUI) application, cmd does not wait for the
application to quit before returning to the command prompt. This new behavior does not occur
if running the application from a command script.
When running a command that uses a first token that does not contain an extension, Cmd.exe uses
the value of the PATHEXT environment variable to determine which extensions to look for and in
what order. The default value for the PATHEXT variable is: .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD (i.e., the syntax
is the same as the PATH variable, with semicolons separating the different elements).
When searching for an executable and there is no match on any extension, start searches directory
name. If it does, start opens Explorer.exe on that path.
Examples:
To start the Myapp program at the command prompt and retain use of the current Command Prompt
window, type:
start myapp
START Key plus some other Key
Using the START key
The START key held down then released will, of course, open up the Task Bar main START option.
Holding down the START key and striking another key causes another type of action to occur.
Only some keys struck while holding down the START key will do anything. They are:
- TAB or SHIFT-TAB -- visually scroll through the Task Bar list
- BREAK -- Display the System Properties dialog box
- E -- start up Windows Explorer
- R -- start up the RUN dialog
- U -- start up both the Utility Manager dialog and the Narrator dialog
- D -- toggle either minimizing everything on the desktop (including MS-Office Shortcut Bar if it is running) or maximizing all that it minimized
- F -- start up the FIND [in] FILES dialog
- F + CTRL -- Search for computers (on networks)
- L -- lock the keyboard and return the screen to the User logon
- M -- minimize everything on the desktop (except the Task Bar and MS-Office Shortcut Bar if it is running)
SUBST
Associates a path with a drive letter. Used without parameters,
subst displays the names of the virtual drives in effect.
subst [drive1: [drive2:]Path]
subst drive1: /d
Parameters:
- drive1: -- Specifies the virtual drive to assign a path.
- drive2: -- Specifies the physical drive that contains the specified
path (if different from the current drive).
- Path -- Specifies the path to assign to a virtual drive.
- /d -- Deletes a virtual drive.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The following commands do not work, or should not be used, on drives
used in the subst command:
chkdsk
diskcomp
diskcopy
format
label
recover
The drive1 parameter must be within the range specified by the lastdrive
command. If not, subst displays the following error message:
Invalid parameter - drive1:
Examples:
To create a virtual drive Z for the path B:\User\Betty\Forms, type:
subst z: b:\user\betty\forms
Now, instead of typing the full path, this directory can be reaced by
typing the letter of the virtual drive, followed by a colon, as follows:
z:
System Properties Settings
This is a short cut to start up the SSYSTEM PROPERTIES Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
SYSDM.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
System Files Editor
This is a short cut to start up the SYSTEM FILES EDITOR portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
SYSEDIT.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
SYSTEMINFO
Displays detailed configuration information about a computer and its operating system,
including operating system configuration, security information, product ID, and hardware
properties, such as RAM, disk space, and network cards.
systeminfo[.exe] [/s Computer [/u Domain\User [/p Password]]] [/fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV}] [/nh]
Parameters:
- /s Computer -- Specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer (do not use
backslashes). The default is the local computer.
- /u Domain\User -- Runs the command with the account permissions of the user specified by
User or Domain\User. The default is the permissions of the current
logged on user on the computer issuing the command.
- /p Password -- Specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the
/u parameter.
- /fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV} -- Specifies the format to use for the output. Valid values are TABLE,
LIST, and CSV. The default format for output is LIST.
- /nh -- Suppresses column headers in the output. Valid when the /fo parameter is set to
TABLE or CSV.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Examples:
The following examples show how to use the systeminfo command:
- systeminfo.exe /s srvmain
- systeminfo.exe /s srvmain /u maindom\hiropln
- systeminfo /s srvmain /u maindom\hiropln /p p@ssW23 /fo table
TASKKILL
Ends one or more tasks or processes.
taskkill [/s Computer] [/u Domain\User [/p Password]]] [/fi FilterName]
[/pid ProcessID]|[/im ImageName] [/f][/t]
Parameters:
- /s Computer -- Specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer (do not use
backslashes). The default is the local computer.
- /u Domain\User -- Runs the command with the account permissions of the user specified
by User or Domain\User. The default is the permissions of the current
logged on user on the computer issuing the command.
- /p Password -- Specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /u
parameter.
- /fi FilterName -- Specifies the types of process(es) to include in or exclude from
termination. The following are valid filter names, operators and
values.
Name Operators Value
============== ======================== ====================================
Hostname eq, ne Any valid string.
Status eq, ne RUNNING|NOT RESPONDING
Imagename eq, ne Any valid string.
PID eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid positive integer.
Session eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid session number.
CPUTime eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Valid time in the format of hh:mm:ss.
The mm and ss parameters should be
between 0 and 59 and hh can be any
valid unsigned numeric value.
Memusage eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid integer.
Username eq, ne Any valid user name ([Domain\]User).
Services eq, ne Any valid string.
Windowtitle eq, ne Any valid string.
- /pid ProcessID -- Specifies the process ID of the process to be terminated.
- /im ImageName -- Specifies the image name of the process to be terminated. Use the
wildcard (*) to specify all image names.
- /f -- Specifies that process(es) be forcefully terminated. This parameter is ignored for
remote processes; all remote processes are forcefully terminated.
- /t -- Specifies to terminate all child processes along with the parent process, commonly
known as a tree kill.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Processes can be killed by process ID or image name.
The wildcard character (*) is accepted only when specified along with the filters.
Termination for remote processes will always be done forcefully regardless of whether the
/f parameter is specified.
Supplying a computer name to the HOSTNAME filter will cause a shutdown and all processes
will be stopped.
Use tasklist to determine the Process ID (PID) for the process to be terminated.
Taskkill is a replacement for the Kill tool.
Examples:
- taskkill /pid 1230 /pid 1241 /pid 1253
- taskkill /f /fi "USERNAME eq NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" /im notepad.exe
- taskkill /s srvmain /f /im notepad.exe
- taskkill /s srvmain /u maindom\hiropln /p p@ssW23 /fi "IMAGENAME eq note*" /im *
- taskkill /s srvmain /u maindom\hiropln /fi "USERNAME ne NT*" /im *
- taskkill /f /fi "PID ge 1000" /im *
TASKLIST
Displays a list of applications and services with their Process ID (PID) for all tasks running
on either a local or a remote computer.
tasklist[.exe] [/s computer] [/u domain\user [/p password]] [/fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV}] [/nh]
[/fi FilterName [/fi FilterName2 [ ... ]]] [/m [ModuleName] | /svc | /v]
Parameters:
/s Computer -- Specifies the name or IP address of a remote computer (do not use
backslashes). The default is the local computer.
/u Domain\User -- Runs the command with the account permissions of the user specified by
User or Domain\User. The default is the permissions of the current
logged on user on the computer issuing the command.
/p Password -- Specifies the password of the user account that is specified in the /u
parameter.
/fo {TABLE|LIST|CSV} -- Specifies the format to use for the output. Valid values are
TABLE, LIST, and CSV. The default format for output is TABLE.
/nh -- Suppresses column headers in the output. Valid when the /fo parameter is set to
TABLE or CSV.
/fi FilterName -- Specifies the types of process(es) to include in or exclude from the
query. The following table lists valid filter names, operators, and
values.
Name Operators Value
============== ======================== ====================================
Hostname eq, ne Any valid string.
Status eq, ne RUNNING|NOT RESPONDING
Imagename eq, ne Any valid string.
PID eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid positive integer.
Session eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid session number.
SessionName eg, ne Any valid string.
CPUTime eq, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Valid time in the format of hh:mm:ss.
The mm and ss parameters should be
between 0 and 59 and hh can be any
valid unsigned numeric value.
Memusage eg, ne, gt, lt, ge, le Any valid integer.
Username eq, ne Any valid user name ([Domain\]User).
Services eq, ne Any valid string.
Windowtitle eq, ne Any valid string.
Modules eq, ne Any valid string.
/m [ModuleName] -- Specifies to show module information for each process. When a module is
specified, all the processes using that module are shown. When a module
is not specified, all the processes for all the modules are shown. This
cannot be used with the /svc or the /v parameter.
/svc -- Lists all the service information for each process without truncation. Valid when
the /fo parameter is set to TABLE. Cannot be used with the /m or the /v parameter.
/v -- Specifies that verbose task information be displayed in the output. Cannot be used
with the /svc or the /m parameter.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
RemarksL
Tasklist is a replacement for the TList tool.
Examples:
- tasklist /v /fi "PID gt 1000" /fo csv
- tasklist /fi "USERNAME ne NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" /fi "STATUS eq running"
- tasklist /v /fi "STATUS eq running"
- tasklist /s srvmain /nh
- tasklist /s srvmain /s srvny
- tasklist /s srvmain /u maindom\hiropln /p p@ssW23 /nh
TASKMGR
This is a short cut to start up the Windows Task Manager. Task Manager can control
the applications and processes that are running on the computer.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
taskmgr and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Telephony Settings
This is a short cut to start up the TELEPHONY Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
TELEPHON.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
TELNET
Communicate with a remote computer that is using the telnet protocol.
telnet [\\RemoteServer] [Port] [/a] [/e] [/f] [/l] [/t]
Remarks:
Telnet can be run without parameters in order to enter the telnet context, indicated by the telnet prompt (telnet>). From the telnet prompt, use the following commands to manage a computer running Telnet Client.
The tlntadmn commands allows remote management of a computer running Telnet Server. These commands are run from the command prompt. Used without parameters, tlntadmn displays local server settings.
To use telnet commands at the telnet prompt
To start Telnet Client and to enter the telnet prompt
telnet [\\RemoteServer]
Parameters:
- \\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to which to connect.
- Port -- Specifies the port number to which to connect.
- /a -- Attempt automatic logon. Same as -l option except uses the currently logged on user's name.
- /e -- Escape character to enter telnet client prompt.
- /f -- File name for client side logging
- /l -- Specifies the user name to log in with on the remote system. Requires that the remote system support the TELNET ENVIRON option.
- /t -- Specifies terminal type. Supported term types are vt100, vt52, ansi and vtnt only.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Used without parameters, telnet starts Telnet Client. When at the telnet prompt, telnet commands must be used. The Telnet Client commands are:
To stop Telnet Client, use either of these in the Telnet Client:
- q or quit Stop/end/exit Telnet Client
- o or open [\\RemoteServer] [Port] Connect to a remote computer
- c or close [\\RemoteServer] Disconnect from a remote computer
- d or display Display operating parameters
- set Set options
Type 'set ?' to see options list
- sen or send Send strings to the server
Type 'sen ?' to see options list
- st or status Print status information
- u or unset Unset options
type 'unset ?' to see options list
same as for SET except for logfile, mode and term
- ? or help Print help information
If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
If a port is not specified, the default port is assumed.
The options for the Telnet Client command 'SET' and 'UNSET' (except for logfile, mode and term) are:
- bsasdel -- Sets BACKSPACE to be sent as delete.
- crlf -- Sets the new line mode, which causes the ENTER key to send 0x0D, 0x0A.
- delasbs -- Sets DELETE to be sent as backspace.
- localecho -- Turns on local echo.
- logging -- Turns on logging. If no log file is set, an error message appears.
- ntlm -- Turns on NTLM authentication if it is available on the remote server.
- escape Character -- Sets the escape character. The escape character can be a single character, or it can be a combination of the CTRL key plus a character. To set a control-key combination, hold down CTRL while typing the character to be assigned. To unassign or unset the escape character, use 'unset escape' without specifying a character.
- logfile FileName -- Sets the file to be used for logging telnet activity. The log file must be on the local computer. Logging begins automatically when setting this option.
- mode {console | stream} -- Sets the mode of operation.
- term {ansi | vt100 | vt52 | vtnt} -- Sets the terminal to the specified type.
- ? -- Allows viewing the complete syntax for this command.
The options for the Telnet Client command 'SEN' are:
- ao -- Aborts output command.
- ayt -- Sends an "Are you there?" command.
- esc -- Sends the current escape character.
- ip -- Interrupts the process command.
- synch -- Performs the telnet sync operation.
- ? -- Allows viewing of the complete syntax for this command.
Examples of the Telnet Client options:
To set Telnet Client options, use this in the Telnet Client:
set [\\RemoteServer] [ntlm] [localecho] [term {ansi | vt100 | vt52 | vtnt}] [escape Character] [logfile FileName] [logging] [bsasdel] [crlf] [delasbs] [mode {console | stream}] [?]
If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
To turn off an option that was previously set, at the telnet prompt, type:
unset [Option]
To set the escape character, type:
e Character
Note that on non-English versions of telnet, the codeset Option is available. Codeset Option sets the current code set to an option, which can be any one of the following: Shift JIS, Japanese EUC, JIS Kanji, JIS Kanji (78), DEC Kanji, NEC Kanji. The local PC needs to use the same code set on the remote computer.
To send Telnet Client commands
send [\\RemoteServer] [ao] [ayt] [esc] [ip] [synch] [?]
If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
To view the current settings for the Telnet Client
display
The display command lists the currently operating parameters for the Telnet Client. If in a telnet session (i.e., if connected to a telnet server), exit the telnet session to modify the parameters by pressing CTRL+]. To return to the telnet session, press ENTER.
Examples of the Telnet Server options:
FOR MORE INFORMATION, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc772789%28WS.10%29.aspx
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] [start] [stop] [pause] [continue] [-s] [-k{SessionID | all}] [-m {SessionID | all} "Message"]
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
- \\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server that is to be managed.
- start -- Starts Telnet Server.
- stop -- Stops Telnet Server.
- pause -- Interrupts Telnet Server.
- continue -- Resumes Telnet Server.
- /s -- Displays active telnet sessions.
- /k{SessionID | all} -- Terminates sessions. Type the session ID to terminate a specific session, or type all to terminate all sessions.
- /m {SessionID | all} "Message" -- Sends a message to one or more sessions. Type the session ID to send a message to a specific session, or type all to send a message to all sessions. Type the message to send between quotation marks (i.e. "Message").
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands can be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
To set logging options on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [auditlocation={eventlog | file | both}] [audit=[{+ | -}admin][{+ | -}user][{+ | -}fail]]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
auditlocation={eventlog | file | both} -- Specifies whether to send event information to Event Viewer, to a file, or to both.
audit=[{+ | -}admin][{+ | -}user][{+ | -}fail] -- Specifies which events to audit (administrative logon events, user logon events, or failed logon attempts). To audit events of a particular type, type a plus sign (+) before that event type. To stop auditing events of a particular type, type a minus sign (-) before that event type.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
If where to send event information is specified without specifying which type or types of information to audit, only information about administrative logon events will be audited and sent to the location specified.
Examples:
To send event information to Event Viewer, type:
tlntadmn config auditlocation=eventlog
To audit administrative logon events and failed logon attempts, type:
tlntadmn config audit=+admin +fail
To set the default domain on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [dom=DomainName]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
dom=DomainName -- Specifies the domain to make the default domain.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
Examples:
To make Redmond the default domain on the local server, type:
tlntadmn config dom=Redmond
To map the Alt key on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [ctrlakeymap={yes | no}]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
ctrlakeymap={yes | no} -- Specifies whether the Telnet Server should interpret CTRL+A as ALT. Type yes to map the shortcut key, or type no to prevent mapping.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
If the ALT key is not mapped, Telnet Server does not send the ALT key to applications that might rely on that key.
To set the maximum number of connections on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [maxconn=PositiveInteger]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
maxconn=PositiveInteger -- Sets the maximum number of connections. This number must be specified with a positive integer that is smaller than 10 million.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
To set the maximum number of failed logon attempts on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [maxfail=PositiveInteger]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
maxfail=PositiveInteger -- Sets the maximum number of failed logon attempts that a user is allowed. This number must be specified with a positive integer that is smaller than 100.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
To set the mode of operation on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [mode={console | stream}]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name for the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
mode={console | stream} -- Specifies the mode of operation.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
To set the telnet port on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [port=IntegerValue]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
port=IntegerValue -- Sets the telnet port. The port must be specified with an integer smaller than 1,024.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
To set the methods of authentication on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [sec=[{+ | -}ntlm][{+ | -}passwd]]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
sec=[{+ | -}ntlm][{+ | -}passwd] -- Specifies whether to use NTLM, a password, or both to authenticate logon attempts. To use a particular type of authentication, type a plus sign (+) before that type of authentication. To prevent using a particular type of authentication, type a minus sign (-) before that type of authentication.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
NTLM is the authentication protocol for transactions between two computers where one or both computers is running Windows NT 4.0 or an earlier version. In addition, NTLM is the authentication protocol for computers that are not participating in a domain, such as stand-alone servers and workgroups.
To set the time-out for idle sessions on a computer running Telnet Server
tlntadmn [\\RemoteServer] config [timeout=hh:mm:ss]
Parameters:
\\RemoteServer -- Specifies the name of the server to manage. If a server is not specified, the local server is assumed.
timeout=hh:mm:ss -- Sets the time-out period in hours, minutes, and seconds.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
A computer running Telnet Server can be remotely administered using the tlntadmn commands if both computers are running Windows XP. The tlntadmn commands cannot be used to remotely administer a computer running Windows 2000 and Telnet Server from a computer that is running Windows XP.
Remarks:
To switch from Telnet Client to command mode, at the telnet prompt, press CTRL+ ]. To switch back to Telnet Client, press ENTER.
TIME
Displays or sets the system time. Used without parameters, time displays the system time and
prompts you to enter a new time.
time [/t] [/time] [hours:[minutes[:seconds[.hundredths]]][{A|P}]]
Parameters:
- /t -- Displays the current system time, without prompting to enter a new time.
- / time -- Same as /t.
- hours -- Specifies the hour. Valid values are in the range 0 through 23.
- minutes -- Specifies minutes. Valid values are in the range 0 through 59.
- seconds -- Specifies seconds. Valid values are in the range 0 through 59.
- hundredths -- Specifies hundredths of a second. Valid values are in the range 0 through 99.
- {A|P} -- Specifies A.M or P.M. for the 12-hour time format. If a valid 12-hour time is
typed but do not type A or P, time uses A for A.M.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
When using time without parameters, press ENTER to keep the same time.
Using the /t parameter:
=======================
The /t command-line option is only available if command extensions are enabled (i.e., the
default). For more information about enabling and disabling command extensions, see cmd in
Related Topics.
Specifying an invalid time format:
==================================
If the time is specified in an invalid format the following message is displayed and the
system then waits for entry of the time in the correct format:
Invalid time
Enter new time:_
Changing the time format:
=========================
The time format can be changed by changing the setting in Date and Time in Control Panel.
For just the MS-DOS subsystem, change the country setting in thr Config.nt file. Depending
on the Country/Region selected, time is displayed in the 12-hour format or the 24-hour
format. If setting the time in the 12-hour format, specify P for hours after noon.
Examples:
To set the computer clock to 1:36 P.M., type either of the following commands:
time 13:36
time 1:36P
System Clock Time/Date Settings
This is a short cut to start up the SYSTEM CLOCK TIME/DATE Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
TIMEDATE.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
TITLE
Sets the window title for the command prompt window.
title [string]
Parameters:
string -- Specifies the title for the command prompt window.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
To use the window title for batch programs, include the title command at
the beginning of a batch program.
Once set, the window title can be reset with the title command only.
Examples:
To set the window title for a batch program, type:
rem This batch program updates the employee data:
cls
@echo off
title Updating Files
copy \\server\share\*.xls c:\users\common\*.xls
echo Files Updated.
TREE
Graphically displays the folder structure of a drive or path.
tree [Drive:][Path] [/f] [/a]
Parameters:
Drive: -- Specifies the drive that contains the disk to display the directory structure.
Path -- Specifies the directory to display the directory structure.
/f -- Displays the names of the files in each directory.
/a -- Specifies that tree is to use text characters instead of graphic characters to show
the lines linking subdirectories.
/? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
The structure displayed by tree depends upon the parameters specified on the command line.
If a drive or path is not specified, tree displays the tree structure beginning with the
current directory of the current drive.
Examples:
To display the names of all the subdirectories on the disk in the current drive, type:
tree \
To display, one screen at a time, the files in all the directories on drive C, type:
tree c:\ /f | more
To print the same list that the previous example displayed, type:
tree c:\ /f prn
TSCON
Attaches a user session to a terminal session. Permission must be granted.
tscon {SessionID | SessionName} [/dest:SessionName] [/password:pw] [/v]
Parameters:
- SessionID -- The ID of the session to which to connect. If the optional /dest:SessionName
parameter is used, this is the ID of the session to which to connect.
- SessionName -- The name of the session to connect.
- /dest:SessionName -- Specifies the name of the current session. This session will disconnect
when connecting to a new session.
- /password:Password -- The password of the user who owns the session to which to connect.
This password is required when the connecting user does not own the
session.
- /v -- Displays information about the actions being performed.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Full Control access permission must be available or Connect special access permission to
connect to another session.
The /dest:SessionName parameter allows connecting the session of another user to a different
session.
If a password is not specified in the Password parameter, and the target session belongs to a
user other than the current one, tscon fails.
Connect to the console session is not possible.
Examples:
To connect to session 12 on the current terminal server and disconnect the current session,
type:
tscon 12
To connect to session 23 on the current terminal server, using the password mypass, and
disconnect the current session, type:
tscon 23 /password:mypass
To connect the session named TERM03 to the session named TERM05, and then disconnect session
TERM05, if it is connected, type:
tscon TERM03 /v /dest:TERM05
TSDISCON
Disconnects a session from a terminal server.
tsdiscon [{SessionID | SessionName}] [/server:ServerName] [/v]
Parameters:
- SessionID -- The ID of the session to disconnect.
- SessionName -- The name of the session to disconnect.
- /server:ServerName -- Specifies the terminal server containing the session to disconnect.
Otherwise, the current terminal server is used.
- /v -- Displays information about the actions being performed.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Full Control permission must be available to disconnect another user from a session.
If no session ID or session name is specified, tsdiscon disconnects the current session.
Any applications that were running when disconnect the session are automatically running
when reconnect to that session with no loss of data. Use Reset session to end the running
applications of the disconnected session, but be aware that this might result in loss of
data at the session.
The /server parameter is required only if tsdiscon is being used from a remote server.
The console session cannot be disconnected.
Examples:
To disconnect the current session, type:
tsdiscon
To disconnect session 10, type:
tsdiscon 10
To disconnect the session named TERM04, type:
tsdiscon TERM04
TSKILL
Ends a process.
tskill {ProcessID | ProcessName} [/server:ServerName] [{/id:SessionID | /a}] [/v]
Parameters:Parameters
- ProcessID -- The ID of the process to end.
- ProcessName -- The name of the process to end. Wildcards can be used to specify this
parameter.
- /server:ServerName -- Specifies the terminal server containing the process to end.
Otherwise, the current terminal server is used.
- /id:SessionID -- Ends the process running in the specified session.
- /a -- Ends the process running in all sessions.
- /v -- Displays information about the actions being performed.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
tskill can be used to end only those processes belonging to the PC. Administrator can
always used tskill since they have full access to all tskill functions and can end
processes running in other user sessions.
When all processes running in a session end, the session also ends.
TYPE
Displays the contents of a text file or files.
TYPE [drive:][path]filename
Parameters:
- [Drive:][Path] FileName -- Specifies the location and name of the file or files to view.
Separate multiple file names with spaces.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
If using an NTFS drive and FileName contains spaces, use quotation marks around the text
(i.e., "File Name").
If displaying a binary file or a file created by a program, strange characters may be seen
on the screen, including formfeed characters and escape-sequence symbols. These characters
represent control codes used in the binary file. In general, avoid using the type command
to display binary files.
Examples:
To display the contents of a file named Holiday.mar, type:
type holiday.mar
To display the contents of a lengthy file one screen at a time, type:
type holiday.mar | more
Users Account Management
This is a short cut to start up the Users Account dialog.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
'control userpasswords2' and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the
C:\ prompt in a CMD window.
VER
Displays the Windows XP version.
ver
Parameters:
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
VERIFY
Tells cmd.exe to verify that the disk files are written correctly
VERIFY [ON | OFF]
Type VERIFY without a parameter to display the current VERIFY setting.
NOTE that this command is not valid on Windows XP or higher
VOL
Displays the disk volume label and serial number, if they exist.
vol [Drive:]
Parameters:
- Drive: : Specifies the drive that contains the disk for which you want to display
the volume label and serial number.
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Windows Shortcut Keys
These are the short cuts available in most Windows applications.
- ALT + - (ALT + hyphen)
- Displays the Multiple Document Interface (MDI) child window's System menu
- ALT + CTRL + DEL
- Start up the system Task Manager dialog
- ALT + ENTER
- View properties for the application in focus, or, toggle command prompt to/from full-screen
- ALT + ESC
- Cycle through applications in the order that they were opened
- ALT + F4
- Close the active application and exit
- ALT + SPACEBAR
- Display the System menu for the active window
- ALT + TAB
- Switch between open applications on the Task Bar
- ALT + Underlined Letter
- Display the corresponding menu
- BACKSPACE
- View the folder one level up in My Computer or Windows Explorer
- CTRL (while dragging the mouse pointer)
- Copy selected item into the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + ALT + DEL
- Start up the system Task Manager dialog
- CTRL + ARROW DOWN
- Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next paragraph
- CTRL + ARROW LEFT
- Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous word
- CTRL + ARROW RIGHT
- Move the insertion point to the beginning of the next word
- CTRL + ARROW UP
- Move the insertion point to the beginning of the previous paragraph
- CTRL + SHIFT
- while dragging Create shortcut to selected item
- CTRL + ESC
- Display the Start menu
- CTRL + F4
- Close the active document
- CTRL + A
- Select all on the screen
- CTRL + B
- Bold the highlighted text
- CTRL + C
- Copy the highlighted text into the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + I
- Italicize the highlighted text
- CTRL + O
- Open an item
- CTRL + U
- Underline the highlighted text
- CTRL + V
- Paste the contents of the Windows clipboard at wherever the cursor is
- CTRL + X
- Cut the highlighted text into the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + Z
- Undo the previous action
- DEL + CTRL + ALT
- Start up the system Task Manager dialog
- ESC
- Cancel the current task
- F1
- Display Help
- F2
- Rename the selected item (can also be used on desktop icons)
- F3
- Search for a file or folder
- F4
- Display the Address bar list in My Computer or Windows Explorer
- F5
- Refresh the active window
- F6
- Cycle through screen elements in a window or on the desktop
- F10
- Activate the menu bar in the active program
- SHIFT + CTRL + ESC
- Launch the Task Manager
- SHIFT + DELETE
- Delete selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin
- SHIFT + F10
- Display the shortcut menu for the selected item
- SHIFT (when insert a CD)
- Prevent the CD from automatically playing
Windows Explorer
These are the short cut keys available in Windows Explorer.
- ALT + ARROW LEFT
- Move backward to a previous folder or file
- ALT + ARROW RIGHT
- Move forward to the next folder or file
- ALT + ENTER
- Start up the Properties dialog of the highlighted folder or file
- ALT + F4
- Close the current window, exit
- ALT + SPACEBAR
- Display the system menu of the application in focus
- ALT + TAB
- Switch to the window last used
- ARROW LEFT
- While in Folders pane, alternatively either move to the parent folder or close the child folders
- ARROW RIGHT
- While in Folders pane, alternatively either open the child folders or move to the first/next child folders
- BACKSPACE
- View the folder one level up
- CTRL + +
- Automatically resize the columns in the right hand pane
- CTRL + A
- Select all files for the currently highlighted folder
- CTRL + C
- Copy highlighted folders or files into the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + ESC
- Display the Start menu
- CTRL + V
- Paste from the Windows clipboard into whatever (folder) is highlighted
- CTRL + X
- Cut highlighted folders or files into the Windows clipboard
- CTRL + Z
- Undo last action
- F10
- Activate the menu bar in programs
- F2
- Rename the highlighted folder or file
- F3
- Display Find application
- F5
- Refresh window contents
- F6
- Switch between left and right panes (and the Address Bar if visible)
- SHIFT + DELETE
- Delete the highlighted folders or files (after verification)
- SHIFT + F10
- Open the context menu for the highlighted folder or file (thus use Up/Down arrows to navigate the menu)
- TAB or SHIFT + TAB
- Navigate through the left and right panes (and the Address Bar if visible)
- SOME TIPS
- Click on a column heading to toggle sorting the column by ascending or descending
- SOME TIPS
- Double-click on the line of a column heading to make it be the width of its largest file name
WordPad Editor
This is a short cut to start up the WordPad editor. Optionally, the name of the
file to edit can be given. Otherwise, a new empty file is started.
This simple word processor is useful for viewing and modifying files whose contents
is made up only of basic formatting. The formatting includes:
- bold, italics, underline
- font family and size and color
- bulleted lists
- Images
No tables or numbered lists or spell checker or thesaurus are available.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
WRITE and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
Security Center Settings
This is a short cut to start up the Security Center Settings portion of the Control Panel.
Either make a shortcut on the desktop with this or do START then RUN then type in
WSCUI.CPL and click OK. Of course, it can also be entered at the C:\ prompt in a
CMD window.
XCOPY
Copies files and directories, including subdirectories.
xcopy Source [Destination] [/w] [/p] [/c] [/v] [/q] [/f] [/l] [/g]
[/d[:mm-dd-yyyy]] [/u] [/i] [/s [/e]] [/t] [/k] [/r] [/h] [{/a|/m}]
[/n] [/o] [/x] [/exclude:file1[+[file2]][+[file3]] [{/y|/-y}] [/z]
Parameters:
Source -- Required. Specifies the location and names of the files to copy.
This parameter must include either a drive or a path.
Destination -- Specifies the destination of the files to copy. This
parameter can include a drive letter and colon, a directory name, a file
name, or a combination of these.
- /p -- Prompts to confirm whether to create each destination file.
- /c -- Ignores errors.
- /v -- Verifies each file as it is written to the destination file to
make sure that the destination files are identical to the source
files.
- /q -- Suppresses the display of xcopy messages.
- /f -- Displays source and destination file names while copying.
- /l -- Displays a list of files that are to be copied.
- /g -- Creates decrypted destination files.
- /d[:mm-dd-yyyy] -- Copies source files changed on or after the specified
date only. If a mm-dd-yyyy value is not included, xcopy copies all
Source files that are newer than existing Destination files. This
command-line
option allows updating only the files that have changed.
- /u -- Copies files from Source that exist on Destination only.
- /i -- If Source is a directory or contains wildcards and Destination does
not exist, xcopy assumes destination specifies a directory name and
creates a new directory. Then, xcopy copies all specified files into
the new directory. By default, xcopy prompts to specify whether
Destination is a file or a directory.
- /s -- Copies directories and subdirectories, unless they are empty. If /s
is omitted, xcopy works within a single directory.
- /e -- Copies all subdirectories, even if they are empty. Use /e with the
/s and /t command-line options.
- /t -- Copies the subdirectory structure (i.e. the tree) only, not files.
To copy empty directories, include the /e command-line option.
- /k -- Copies files and retains the read-only attribute on destination files
if present on the source files. By default, xcopy removes the
read-only attribute.
- /r -- Copies read-only files.
- /h -- Copies files with hidden and system file attributes. By default,
xcopy does not copy hidden or system files.
- /a -- Copies only source files that have their archive file attributes set.
/a does not modify the archive file attribute of the source file. For
information about how to set the archive file attribute by using
attrib, see Related Topics.
- /m -- Copies source files that have their archive file attributes set.
Unlike /a, /m turns off archive file attributes in the files that are
specified in the source. For information about how to set the archive
file attribute by using attrib, see Related Topics.
- /n -- Creates copies by using the NTFS short file or directory names. /n is
required to copy files or directories from an NTFS volume to a FAT
volume or when the FAT file system naming convention (i.e. 8.3
characters) is required on the destination file system. The destination
file system can be FAT or NTFS.
- /o -- Copies file ownership and discretionary access control list (DACL)
information.
- /x -- Copies file audit settings and system access control list (SACL)
information (implies /o).
- /exclude:filename1[+[filename2]][+[filename3]] -- Specifies a list of files
containing strings.
- /y -- Suppresses prompting to confirm to overwrite an existing destination
file.
- /-y -- Prompts to confirm to overwrite an existing destination file.
- /z -- Copies over a network in restartable mode.
- /w -- Displays the following message and waits for a response before s
starting to copy files:
Press any key to begin copying file(s)
- /? -- Displays help at the command prompt.
Remarks:
Using /v
=========
Windows XP does not use this command. It is accepted only for compatibility
with MS-DOS files.
Using /exclude:
===============
List each string in a separate line in each file. If any of the listed
strings match any part of the absolute path of the file to be copied, that
file is then excluded from the copying process. For example, if the string
"\Obj\" is specified, exclude all files underneath the Obj directory. If
specify the string ".obj", exclude all files with the .obj extension.
Using /z:
=========
If the connection is lost during the copy phase (for example, if the server
going offline severs the connection), it resumes after reestablishing the
connection. /z also displays the percentage of the copy operation completed
for each file.
Using /y in the COPYCMD environment variable:
=============================================
Use /y in the COPYCMD environment variable. Override this command by using
/-y on the command line. The default to overwrite is prompted, unless xcopy
is run from within a batch script.
Copying encrypted files:
========================
Copying encrypted files to a volume that does not support EFS results in an
error. Decrypt the files first or copy the files to a volume that does
support EFS.
Appending files:
================
To append files, specify a single file for destination, but multiple files
for source (i.e. by using wildcards or file1+file2+file3 format).
Default value for Destination:
==============================
If Destination is omitted, the xcopy command copies the files to the current
directory.
Specifying whether Destination is a file or directory:
======================================================
If Destination does not contain an existing directory and does not end with a
backslash (\), the following message appears:
Does destination specify a file name
or directory name on the target
(F = file, D = directory)?
Press F to copy the file or files to a file. Press D to copy the file or files
to to a directory.
This message can be suppressed by using the /i command-line option, which causes
xcopy to assume that the destination is a directory if the source is more than
one file or a directory.
Using the xcopy command to set archive attribute for Destination files
The xcopy command creates files with the archive attribute set, whether or not
this attribute was set in the source file. For more information about file
attributes and attrib, see Related Topics.
Comparing xcopy and diskcopy:
=============================
If a disk that contains files in subdirectories and want to copy it to a disk
that has a different format, use the xcopy command instead of diskcopy. Because
the diskcopy command copies disks track by track, the source and destination
disks must have the same format. The xcopy command does not have this requirement.
Use xcopy unless a complete disk image copy is needed.
Exit codes for xcopy:
=====================
To process exit codes returned by xcopy, use the errorlevel parameter on the if
command line in a batch program. For an example of a batch program that processes
exit codes using if, see Related Topics. The following table lists each exit code
and a description.
Exit code - Description
0 - Files were copied without error.
1 - No files were found to copy.
2 - The user pressed CTRL+C to terminate xcopy.
4 - Initialization error occurred. There is not enough memory or disk space,
or an invalid drive name was entered or invalid syntax was specified on
the command line.
5 - Disk write error occurred.
Examples:
To copy all the files and subdirectories (including any empty subdirectories)
from drive A to drive B, type:
xcopy a: b: /s /e
To include any system or hidden files in the previous example, add the/h
command-line option as follows:
xcopy a: b: /s /e /h
To update files in the \Reports directory with the files in the \Rawdata
directory that have changed since December 29, 1993, type:
xcopy \rawdata \reports /d:12-29-1993
To update all the files that exist in \Reports in the previous example, regardless
of date, type:
xcopy \rawdata \reports /u
To obtain a list of the files to be copied by the previous command (i.e. without
actually copying the files), type:
xcopy \rawdata \reports /d:12-29-1993 /l > xcopy.out
The file Xcopy.out lists every file that is to be copied.
To copy the \Customer directory and all subdirectories to the directory
\\Public\Address on network drive H:, retain the read-only attribute, and be
prompted when a new file is created on H:, type:
xcopy \customer h:\public\address /s /e /k /p
To issue the previous command, ensure that xcopy creates the \Address directory if
it does not exist, and suppress the message that appears when creating a new directory,
add the /i command-line option as follows:
xcopy \customer h:\public\address /s /e /k /p /i
To create a batch program to perform xcopy operations and use the batch if command to
process the exit code if an error occurs. For example, the following batch program uses
replaceable parameters for the xcopy source and destination parameters:
@echo off
rem COPYIT.BAT transfers all files in all subdirectories of
rem the source drive or directory (%1) to the destination rem drive or directory (%2)
xcopy %1 %2 /s /e
if errorlevel 4 goto lowmemory
if errorlevel 2 goto abort
if errorlevel 0 goto exit
:lowmemory
echo Insufficient memory to copy files or
echo invalid drive or command-line syntax.
goto exit
:abort
echo You pressed CTRL+C to end the copy operation.
goto exit
:exit
To copy all source files, including subdirectories and even empty subdirections, plus
retain the read-only attribute of source files that have them, to the destination folder
(which is created if not existing) and do so without any prompting for overwriting or
displaying what is being copied, type:
set COPYCMD=/Y
XCOPY C:\source_dir\*.* %1:\destination_dir /Q /D /E /R /K /Y /I
set COPYCMD=-Y
Note that the two "set COPYCMD's are there to assure that no prompting is done for file
overwrites. Just a bit of extra insurance for some operating systems such as Win2000.
To use this batch program to copy all files in the C:\Prgmcode directory and its
subdirectories to drive B, type:
copyit c:\prgmcode b:
The command interpreter substitutes C:\Prgmcode for %1 and B: for %2, then uses xcopy
with the /e and /s command-line options. If xcopy encounters an error, the batch program
reads the exit code and goes to the label indicated in the appropriate IF ERRORLEVEL
statement, then displays the appropriate message and exits from the batch program.
VARIOUS CODING EXAMPLES
GET/SET DRIVE LETTER AS PARAMETER
Get the Drive letter parameter and if not present then default it to "C":
Demonstrate: IF....GOTO
Demonstrate: SET
if "%1" == "" goto SetDrive
SET DRIVE=%1
goto ContinueThis
:SetDrive
SET DRIVE=C
:ContinueThis
VALIDATE PARAMETERS GIVEN
Check for required parameter(s) and if missing then show expected command line syntax
Demonstrate: IF....GOTO
Demonstrate: IF....GOTO NOT EXIST
Demonstrate: SET ERRORLEVEL
@ECHO OFF
if "%1" == "" goto showSyntax
if "%1" == "" goto showSyntax
rem assume parameter #1 is a directory name and if it does not exist, create it and check if that failed
if not exist "%1" md "%1"
if not exist "%1" goto badDirectory
rem do whatever here.......
goto exitTime
:showSyntax
echo Usage: thisBatchFileName directoryNameToUse
echo.
echo where directoryNameToUse is the name of the folder where the action happens
set ERRORLEVEL=2
goto exitTime
:badDirectory
echo the directory given as the parameter could not be created
set ERRORLEVEL=1
goto exittime
:exitTime
EMPTY RECYCLE BIN
Clear the Recycle Bin
rd /s %systemdrive%\$Recycle.bin
GET DATE/TIME VARIABLES
Get the current date/time into separate variables
Demonstrate: IF
Demonstrate: SET
@ECHO OFF
set hh=%time:~0,2%
if "%hh:~0,1%" == " " set hh=0%hh:~1,1%
set mn=%time:~3,2%
if "%mn:~0,1%" == " " set mn=0%mn:~1,1%
set ss=%time:~6,2%
if "%ss:~0,1%" == " " set ss=0%ss:~1,1%
set yy=%date:~-4%
set mm=%date:~4,2%
if "%mm:~0,1%" == " " set mm=0%mm:~1,1%
set dd=%date:~7,2%
if "%dd:~0,1%" == " " set dd=0%dd:~1,1%
echo it currently is %mm%/%dd%/%yy% %hh%:%mn%:%ss%
GET DAY OF WEEK VARIABLE
Get the day of the week (WIN7 or WIN8)
Demonstrate: WMIC
Demonstrate: FOR
Demonstrate: IF/ELSE
@echo off
rem get 24-hour time
for /F "tokens=1-4 delims=: " %%i in ('time /t') do (
set Hr=%%i
set Mn=%%j
set AP=%%k
)
if "%AP%"=="PM" (set /a H=%Hr%+12) ELSE (set /a H = %Hr%+0)
rem get date including day of week as an abbreviation
wmic path win32_localtime get dayofweek
for /F "tokens=1-4 delims=/ " %%i in ('date /t') do (
set WD=%%i
set D=%%j
set M=%%k
set Y=%%l
)
echo currently it is %Y%/%M%/%D% %H%:%Mn% on a %WD%
SYNC FOLDERS CONTENT
Sync the files in two folders/directories
Demonstrate: IF.....GOTO
Demonstrate: COPYCMD
@ECHO OFF
if "%1" == "" goto NeedBothFolders
if "%2" == "" goto NeedBothFolders
set COPYCMD=/Y
xcopy %1\*.* %2 /Q /D /E /R /K /Y
set COPYCMT=-Y
goto exittime
:NeedBothFolders
echo Valid usage syntax is:
echo nameofthisbatfile.bat X Y
echo where X is the full path of the FROM folder (without an ending backslash)
echo and Y is the full path of the TO folder
:exittime
echo DONE...
ASSIGN DRIVE TO REMOTE PC
On a network, link a server/PC to a temporarily assigned drive
NOTE: it starts at Z looking for the first open drive
Then the temporary drive gets unassigned via the "popd"
Demonstrate: PUSHD and POPD
pushd %tempdrv%
rem do whatever for the new drive, refer to it with a period
rem e.g. copy c:\myfiles\*.* .\backup\ /Q
popd
REBOOT LOCALLY OR REMOTELY
Reboot the PC, even remotely, after a given delay (in # of seconds)
Demonstrate: TIMEOUT
Demonstrate: SHUTDOWN
@ECHO OFF
rem pause for 60 seconds
timeout /T 60
echo . . . . . rebooting in 6 seconds .....
timeout /T 5
shutdown -r -f -t 1 -m \\computernamehereCouldUseSystemVariableCalled%ComputerName%
EXPORT A REGISTRY KEY
Retrieve from the System Registry the value(s) for the given Registry key
Demonstrate: FOR
Demonstrate: DO
@ECHO OFF
rem basically, say "REG" followed by registry key to export followed by name of file to export the key values into
REG EXPORT HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Excel.Sheet.12 "c:\mypath\myfolder\excel12.reg"
IMPORT A REGISTRY KEY
Add System Registry entries from a prior export
Demonstrate: REGEDIT
regedit.exe /S my_first_exported_registry_key.reg
pause
regedit.exe /S my_second_exported_registry_key.reg
SHOW INSTALLED PROGRAMS LIST IN EXCEL
Get a listing of all installed software and their versions, open CSV in Excel
Demonstrate: WMIC
Demonstrate: MORE
Demonstrate: START
@echo off
rem clean up final output file
del C:\Software_%Computername%.csv /Q
rem create a temp file with the column hdgs
rem NOTE, despite order of columns selected, WMIC puts columns in its own order
echo Node,InstallDate,InstallLocation,Name,ProductCode,Vendor,Version>> c:\csv_col_hdgs.txt
rem generate the output file (sans column headings)
echo this might take a couple of minutes to generate
wmic /output:c:\garbagefirstline.txt product get Name,Version,Vendor,InstallDate,PackageCode,InstallLocation /format:csv
rem the WMIC outputs a junk line instead of column headings so use the MORE command to start at line #2
more +2 "garbagefirstline.txt" > "csv_output_no_col_hdgs.txt"
rem combine the two files generated above into one CSV file and open it with Excel
type c:\csv_col_hdgs.txt >> C:\Software_%Computername%.csv"
type c:\csv_output_no_col_hdgs.txt >> C:\Software_%Computername%.csv"
start excel C:\Software_%Computername%.csv
rem NOW, if you want to get really fancy, add VBA to rearrange the column order, freeze the top row,
rem and set column widths
SEARCH THE LINES IN A TEXT FILE FOR A SPECIFIC VALUE
Demonstrate: FINDSTR
Use "FINDSTR" to filter out lines in a text file (.txt,.csv,.ini,etc.)
In this example, the input file is searched for a specific value and once the record is found then
another value within the record is actually wanted. The values in each record are delimited by some character.
rem The values within each record of the input file are delimited by the below character (semi-colon in this case)
rem The record key being searched is the first value in each record and is a numeric value in this example.
rem The record value wanted from the search, in the example, is the third value within each record.
set delimchar=;
set valueToFind=18%delimchar%
set myrecordkey=
for /f "delims=" %%s in ('FINDSTR /B /I /C:%valueToFind% c:\mydatapath\myinputfile.csv ') do (
set "myfoundrec=%%s"
)
echo Found=%myfoundrec%
set outvalue=
rem parse found record value to extract the value wanted
for /f "tokens=1,2,3,4 delims=%delimchar%" %%a in ("%myfoundrec%") do set outvalue=%%c
echo %outvalue%
READ THE LINES IN A TEXT FILE
Demonstrate: FOR
Read the lines in a text file (.txt,.csv,.ini,etc.)
In this example, a comma-delimited file is read in, twice.
The first time the file records are shown as one long string.
The second time the individual fields within each file record are shown with double colons between them.
Instead of doing "@echo" any of the various %%X fields could be used to set the value into a variable.
Within a single FOR statement, the most %%X variables is 31. That is the 26 uppercase letters plus the five special characters used below.
Note that, by default, the /F considers a blank space to be the beginning of a new record or line.
for /F "first showing done, each record as one long string
FOR /F "tokens=1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,30,31 delims=," %%? in (c:\testfile.csv) do @echo %%? :: %%@ :: %%A :: %%B :: %%C :: %%D :: %%E :: %%F :: %%G :: %%H :: %%I :: %%J :: %%K :: %%L :: %%M :: %%N :: %%O :: %%P :: %%Q :: %%R :: %%S :: %%T :: %%U :: %%V :: %%W :: %%X :: %%Y :: %%Z :: %%[ :: %%\ :: %%] ::
pause ...second showing done
CONDITIONALLY FILTER/REMOVE LINES FROM A TEXT FILE
Demonstrate: FINDSTR
Use "FINDSTR" to filter out lines in a text file (.txt,.csv,.ini,etc.)
In this example, if any line of the input file contains any of the three given words then it will
NOT be included in the output file
FINDSTR /v "CASE_SENSITIVE_WORD_1 CASE_SENSITIVE_WORD_2 AND_MORE" c:\inputfile.txt > c:\outputfile.txt
RENAME GROUP OF FILE EXTENSIONS
Rename all files with the extension of HTM (uppercase) to html (lowercase)
Demonstrate: FOR
for /f "Tokens=*" %%f in ('dir /l/b/a-d *.htm') do (rename "%%f" "%%f"l)
CALL BATCH FROM BATCH
Execute a batch file from a batch file with optional parameters
Demonstrate: CALL
call batchfilename2.bat param1 param2 param3
EXECUTE EXTERNAL PROGRAM (see START)
Execute an executable program (extension EXE) from a batch program
Demonstrate: START
start programname.exe
programname.exe
COMPILE/RUN JAVA
Compile then run a java program from a batch file
Demonstrate: JAVA and JAVAC
javac -deprecation -classpath . nameOfJavaFileHere.java
javac -deprecation -classpath .;c:\folder1\folder2 -d c:\folder1\folder2\%1 nameOfJavaFileHere.java
java nameOfJavaFileHere
TEMPORARILY ALTER SYSTEM PATH
Temporarily add directories to the System Path
Demonstrate: PATH ALTERING
PATH=c:\myfolder;%PATH%
GET SYSTEM INFORMATION
Gather/display various types of System Information
Demonstrate: SYSTEMINFO, FINDSTR, WMIC
@echo off
echo Checking system information...........
echo (ignore the message about loading HotFix Information)
systeminfo | findstr /c:"Computer Name"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"Domain"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"OS Name"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"OS Version"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"System Manufacturer"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"System Model"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"System type"
systeminfo | findstr /c:"Total Physical Memory"
ipconfig | findstr IPv4
echo Hard Drive Space:
wmic logicaldisk get caption,size
echo Service Tag:
wmic bios get serialnumber
echo CPU:
wmic cpu get name
pause Done!
FYI - use these for numeric comparison in Batch:
EQU - equal
NEQ - not equal
LSS - less than
LEQ - less than or equal
GTR - greater than
GEQ - greater than or equal
Compiler of this file: Larry Wilson, 09-18-2015